


Redemption

by HillaryLeonor



Category: Political RPF, Political RPF - US 21st c.
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-19
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-09-18 14:10:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 25,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9388703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HillaryLeonor/pseuds/HillaryLeonor
Summary: In many ways, the Trump Presidency is uncharted territory. It is also uncharted territory for Bill and Hillary Clinton





	1. Chapter 1

  
**January 21, 2017**  
**Whitehaven Mansion ****  
**01:07 am****

A teary-eyed Bill Clinton was sitting on their bed, watching his wife's speech at the last Democratic National Convention on his iPad while the real Hillary Clinton was sleeping soundly at his side. In his alternate reality, they would not be sleeping in their bedroom in their Whitehaven home, but in the room they once occupied 24 years ago; where 8 years of memories had been made, all good and bad. In his alternate reality, his wife would hold the same office he once held, being the first of her kind to do so. That would have been the culmination of everything that he had hoped and dreamed for her, that he never doubted once that she could attain. But alas, the forces of anarchy and injustice were greater than her message of fairness, equality, forgiveness and love; far greater than they have expected to face. To their deep regret, those were more than enough to defeat her.

He could not help but let his tears flow, lamenting at the unfortunate fate of his wife. All throughout his life, he reaped the glory, while she had to endure the shame, humiliation and defeat. She had sacrificed so much for him and for the country, but somehow, the universe has decided not to reward her. Like, is there any other person in history who had to be humbled three times in front of the entire world to see?

Bill recalled her concession speech two months ago, when in the midst of the most crushing defeat in her life, she stood proud and tall, beautiful and elegant, in front of the entire world. Bill was in awe of his wife, then and now. How she handled her suffering with grace, dignity, and no hint of bitterness, despite her every right to do so. 

Actually, Bill realized, the 2016 election wasn’t the most crushing defeat in her life. Donald Trump didn’t hand her the most humiliating loss of her life.

_He did._

It was one thing to lose an election. But to find out, that the love of your life was being unfaithful to you? That your husband had played you into a fool? That you were not beautiful enough or charming enough to him to make him stay? It was a crushing defeat on so many levels. It was an episode in their lives they completely put behind, but it was one that their opponents were very happy to relish.

In fact, Hillary’s opponent was very giddy to use it against her.

Bill was boiling mad when her opponent threatened to use his indiscretions against her almost a year ago. Hillary would not say it, but he knew that she was deeply affected and hurt, and he wanted nothing better than to punch that horrible man for threatening to crucify his wife for something she had no participation on.

But then again, her opponent would not have done it if he had not been unfaithful in the first place.  

Back in 2008, it was also his clumsy remarks that doomed her candidacy. After his reckless comments ahead of the South Carolina primary, his wife’s chances of winning the state and recapturing the race were basically nil. Again, he managed to screw up his wife when she needed him most.

And in this cycle, his pet project, the Clinton Foundation, became a political liability for her, despite having done real good work for people around the world. He was proud of the Foundation and its accomplishments and he would not have wanted it any other way, but still it was a fodder for the ratings-greedy Fox News and the well-oiled right wing media industry.

Bill wondered what she could have accomplished if she did not accept his marriage proposal 41 years ago; if he followed his earlier advice of leaving him and running for office during her prime years. If she left her and married another man who was more willing to support her ambitions rather than to plot her destiny to match his.

The thought of another man in her life kills him, and he probably deserved it, since he had been the cause of most of the disappointments in Hillary’s life.

Bill’s heart broke at the sight of his wife’s silent slumber. Unbeknownst the public, Hillary had to take Valium before the inauguration to keep her from breaking down in front of millions of people. She didn’t have to come to the inauguration as a First Lady, but the dutiful woman that she is, she insisted that she accompany Bill on the event.  

The effects of the drug were still on when they arrived home. The moment her head hit the pillow, she was fast asleep.

He brushed his finger on his wife’s soft cheeks, remembering that the pact he made with her years ago: _For 20 years, we’ve gone where I’ve wanted to and done what I’ve wanted to do, and I’ll give you the next 20 years. And if I’m still alive after that, we’ll fight over the rest._ Right then and there, he decided to change the terms of their pact.

_You still have four years, my love. But no amount of time will ever be enough for me to repay all the love and sacrifice that you gave me. From this day on, I will stand by you unequivocally, and I will follow you, where your heart leads me to, until the day I die._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments! It was like hot cocoa on a cold morning. Anyway, I figured you all guys needed a reprieve after the horrible day yesterday so here's a warm and fuzzy chapter for you. It isn't much but a transition for what's to come in the future chapters, which will make a more serious turn. Enjoy!

**February 27, 2017**  
**4:46 PM**  
**En route to NYC**

 

“We’re running late, Honey!”, Hillary warned Bill as she ordered their driver to step on it.

After several shouting matches, spilled milk and broken eggs, Bill and Hillary finally finished preparing the food for Chelsea’s surprise birthday party. Bill presented the idea of a surprise party for their daughter a few months back, but it was only a few weeks ago that he suggested that they do the preparations themselves, before Hillary could even pick up the phone to contact her favorite party planner.

“I don’t know what got into your mind and thought this was a good idea“, Hillary fumed as the checked her watch. It was almost 5 PM.

 “Well…”

Bill couldn’t find a decent answer. He completely forgot the fact that two amateur cooks, who haven’t cooked for 25 years, cannot and will not come up with a decent meal fit for public consumption. Or at least, for thirty people.  

“Duck, Billy. Really? Duck?”, Hillary chastised her husband.

Bill saw this Meryl Streep movie where the lead character cooked her way to Julia Child’s entire cookbook. Foolishly thinking that it would be a breeze, Bill chose the most sophisticated and complicated dishes (“Boeuf Bourguignon and Deboned Duck!”, he proudly exclaimed) and tried practicing on those dishes. On their third attempt, they still failed to produce a palatable meal, even just for both of them.

“I could have ordered some food, you know”, Hillary said, never letting Bill off the hook.

But really, Bill had a different goal. The cook-off was just a part of Bill’s master plan for Hillary.

Now that Hillary is out of public life, he wanted to spend more quality time with her and help her heal. He promised to himself that he would be her emotional steward, never judging her and always trusting her. It was easy, really. How could you not love someone who is compassionate and unselfish like Hillary?

After Hillary’s loss, there were multiple offers for her to continue her public service: board membership to different foundations, university professorships and chairmanships among others. There were even calls for her to run for the Gracie Mansion. But Hillary, a tired warrior of politics for more than three decades, wanted no more of the public life (at least for now) and settled for a job that she never had before: a plain housewife.

Bill was supportive of her decision, and he himself could not have been happier. It made his job of protecting her a lot easier, and it meant more human being time for them: More plays to watch, more dates to go to, more nights to make love; something they haven’t fully experienced since Bill ran for attorney general.

And of course, Charlotte and Aidan were there. Those two kids are Hillary’s most treasured jewels, next to Chelsea. Both Bill and Hillary can watch their grandkids grow in peace, an experience they probably won’t enjoy had she won the presidency.

When they arrived at Chelsea’s apartment, they called their daughter’s housekeeper to check if the coast was clear. After receiving the go-signal, they entered the apartment to set up. Hillary reheated the food while Bill decorated the living room. 6:25pm. Thirty five minutes left.

“Shit, we’re not gonna make it”, Hillary cursed. “Call Marc”

“I’m on it, Honey”.

Bill spoke to Marc and asked him to stall for time.

“It’s okay, Babe. But the guests might be coming soon”, Bill shouted from the hallway.

“That’s okay, Hon. I am more worried that Chelsea might walk on us”

“Like what she almost did a few years back?”

“Shut up, Billy Boy”.

That time when Hillary went home from her overseas trip when she was still Secretary of State, the two missed each other so much that they could not even wait for the bedroom and decided to make love on the couch. Good thing Hillary managed to lock the door otherwise Chelsea would have the most unfortunate experience of seeing her parents going to town on each other.

 After several more minutes of panicked efforts, the first set of party guests have arrived. When Marc called them saying that he and Chelsea are about to arrive, Hillary planted the candles into Chelsea’s cake and asked Bill for the lighter.

“Honey, the lighter”, she asked.

“What lighter?”

Hillary’s eyes went wide. “Don’t tell me you forgot the lighter”.

Reality seeped into Bill like a bucket of ice water:  He forgot to bring a fucking lighter.

“Oh God Bill. You forgot to bring the fucking lighter!!!”.

“Oh shit shit shit…”

Bill scrambled to the kitchen to find a match or a lighter. He was getting desperate but an idea came into his mind. He opened the stove and placed the candle on top of the fire so that the wick caught aflame.

“Damn, Bill. You and your swiss cheese memory”.

He was sheepish as he laughed off the entire gaffe. Hillary simply rolled her eyes as she picked up the cake. Hillary’s phone rang: it must be the signal from Marc. She ordered everyone to take their positions and stay quiet. In a couple of seconds, they heard the door unlock and when the door finally opened, everybody shouted in unison to greet Chelsea.

“SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”

A stunned but smiling Chelsea was rooted in front of the door, her mind too blank to say anything. Bill and Hillary approached their daughter, he hugging his girl while she holding out the cake so Chelsea could blow the candle. Charlotte and Aidan (who was being carried by his Dad) were jumping up and down too.

“Mom, Dad…did you plan all of this?”, Chelsea asked.

A beaming Hillary simply nodded. “Yes, Chels. It was your Dad’s idea”.

“Oh my God, Dad! Thank you!”, Chelsea hugged her father in thanks.

“Well, it was you’re mother’s planning skills that made this possible. You know how bad I am”.

“William….” Hillary warned.

“Oh, come on, Babe. Your organizing skills are way better than mine. Remember back then in Arkansas when they said they elected the wrong Clinton? Yep, all you dear”.

Somehow, Bill noticed his wife’s smile stiffen beneath the joyful façade.

_Oh shit._

Hillary tried not to show it, but she was hurt by Bill’s remark. Through the rest of the evening, Hillary casually ignored her husband. Bill, of course, noticed the cold shoulder that his wife was giving him all night. It was a relief for Bill that Chelsea did not seem to notice the silent war raging between her parents, otherwise he had some explaining to do afterwards. When they were eating together, Bill did not bother talking to Hillary, since he knew it would infuriate her further.

When they were finally alone inside their car on their way home, it was then when Bill found the opportunity to appease his wife.  

“Babe…” Bill pleaded.

No response. Hillary was looking away from him.

“That was insensitive of me, wasn’t it?”

Still no response.

Bill held her hand and placed it on his lap. “I know you’re still hurting and you need time to heal. I am sorry that I rubbed salt in your wound. I should not have said that. But I do think that you’re the best goddamn sexy wife and mother to walk in this planet. And I am so lucky that you said yes to me after I bought you a house”.

Bill heard a snort that sounded like the beginnings of a laugh. Slowly, a smile formed on her lips which definitely reached her eyes. The heart of an Ice Queen, being thawed by an act of true love. Hillary skooted over to get closer to Bill and she leaned her head on her shoulder, blissfully content at the shield and protection that he provides.

“Billy Honey?”

“Yes?”

“You owe me one”.

“Yes, Ma’am”.

“You can now pay me back”.

“Right now?!”

“Right now”.

Without another word, Bill leaned in to his wife to engulf her in a passionate kiss.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Thanks for the comments on the last chapter. I am actually excited to post this one because this will finally set the plot in motion. This is probably not the one that you are expecting but this has always been in my mind since the beginning. :)

**April 24, 2017**  
**8:01 PM**  
**Chappaqua, New York**

 

_Breaking News from Washington, DC: Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced that the Department of Justice will be opening a criminal investigation of Hillary Clinton’s emails and her violation of the Federal Records Act on her decision to install a private email server. This comes after the leaks from the intelligence community alleging that the highest officials of the Kremlin had personally blackmailed and transferred campaign money to President Trump, and Trump himself made a deal with the Kremlin to help defeat Hillary Clinton. This is widely seen by political observers as a distraction from the scandal that the President is in, and a practice common in in authoritarian nations._

“We saw this coming from a mile away, Babe”, Bill stated as fact, standing in front of the TV while holding his tumbler.  

“Who’s doing MSNBC for us?”, Hillary asked, sitting on the couch.  

“Jen Palmieri”

 “Anderson Cooper?”

 “Karen”, Bill replied, referring to her former communications director Karen Finney.

“How about the 9 o’clock?”

“Robby on MSNBC, John on CNN”.

Hillary held a deep sigh, disbelieved that she had to this all over again. Bill noticed his wife’s exasperated reaction and sat beside her, his extending his arm onto her shoulder. She subconsciously leaned on her husband’s arm as she watched the TV segment unfold.

“I cannot believe we had to go through this again. I thought we’re gonna have a peaceful life after that awful election. And now Trump’s using me for a piñata. Whatever happened to private citizens get to live in private, huh?”, Hillary complained to her husband.

Bill rubbed her arm and kissed her head, hoping that it would soothe her distressed spirit. “Baby. You know it’s nothing. The FBI exonerated you several times already”.

Hillary winced at the sound of “FBI”.

“Hey, I know you are still hurt by what that asshole Comey did. And frankly, he should pay for what he did – jail time, removal from office, anything. But Babe, you know this is bullshit. This is nothing”.

Hillary snorted in disgust. “That same bullshit cost me Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan”.

_Uh oh, she’s getting worked up again_ , Bill thought.

Bill grabbed her hands and kissed them as they listened to Jen defend her on TV. “Hilly, we cannot change the past. You know that. We can only work with the present so that it will not happen again in the future. And on my honor as your lawfully wedded husband, I swear that the Republicans will never harm a hair on your head ever again. If anything good that has come out of these past few months, it’s that the majority of Americans already had buyer’s remorse with this President and it ain’t even a hundred days. Clearly, the American people made a mistake of not choosing you”.

Bill’s words managed to comfort Hillary a bit, but not entirely. She simply leaned on his chest while they both watched television. He saw this as a sign of her appreciation.

Just before ten o’clock. Hillary yawned and decided to go upstairs to bed while Bill decided to stay just a little longer.

When Hillary was completely out of sight, Bill turned off the TV and took his cellphone from the coffee table. He then dialed the Senate Minority Leader’s number.

Within two rings, a person from the other end of the line picked up the call.

“Hello, Senator Schumer speaking”.

“Chuck, it’s me Bill”

“Aaah, Mr. President. How’s Hillary?”

“She’s rather upset”, Bill replied. “Those bastards won’t stop going after her, will they?”

“No, Sir. The sold their souls to the Devil. Or Putin, rather”, Chuck said.

“Those fuckers. Any developments?”

“Nancy is only two votes away from an impeachment. Trump is losing allies by the day”.

Bill scoffed. “They stick with him when the Kremlin was still useful and now that Putin’s abandoned him, they throw him under the bus”.

“I know. Cowards, really. And they call themselves patriots on TV. Pathetic”.

Bill rubbed his forehead. “What else do you got?”

“I’ve been talking to people close to the White House, and I hear Trump is getting frustrated by the day due to the fact that his victory is illegitimate, considering that he benefited from Russian interference and that he lost the popular vote to Hillary”.

Bill tried to wrap his head at what he just heard. “He’s seriously bugged that he didn’t win fair and square despite the fact that he cheated? Man, the guy really is unhinged”.

Chuck replied, “I thought so too, Mr. President. But it was the popular vote loss that disturbs him more. It really irked him that more people voted for Hillary. I think that’s what he’s craving the most: Popular approval”.

“If we were like any other democracy in the world, Hillary would be president”.

“True, Sir. But we cannot change the system that easily. The Founders had different things in mind”.

“Sadly, no. Why are you telling this to me anyway?”, asked Bill.

He heard a sigh from the other end of the line. “Mr. President, what I am about to tell you is extremely important and extremely confidential. I trust that nobody will hear the things that I am about to tell you. Are we clear on that, Sir?”

“Of course”.

“Very well then. According to my White House sources, Trump wanted to challenge Hillary for a rematch in order to acquire a mandate. He will not let this go until this legitimacy issue is settled. He wanted to do so since February but he was always being persuaded by his advisers to do otherwise. Now that more shoes have dropped since then, the advisers feel that a rematch is necessary to make all of these allegations go away. They feel that if they had a rematch and Trump won, the Russian hacking of 2016 will be moot and academic.

Bill’s jaw dropped at what Chuck told him.

“How the heck will they force a snap election?”, asked Bill.

“Since the GOP controls the majority of the House and Senate, the leadership will force them to pass a constitutional amendment to have a rematch between Trump and Hillary”

“How about ratification?”

“That shouldn’t be a problem, Sir. Most of the state legislatures are held by the GOP. Also, we did an internal polling on this. 79% of the American people, after what they have heard during the past few weeks, want a rematch between the President and Hillary. Public opinion could definitely sway the votes of the legislatures”.

Bill was simply dumbfounded.

“I’m sorry Chuck, I thought I was hallucinating. This is all crazy.”.

“Sorry, Sir, but this is as real as this can be”.

Bill was silent for a few seconds, trying to digest all the information he had just received.

“Is this related to the Jeff Sessions investigation?”

“Yes, Sir”, Chuck replied. “They are trying to destroy her early on so that when she accepts the President’s challenge, it would be much easier to take her down. Remember how eager the media pounced on those nothingburger emails”.

Boiling anger slowly began to rise in Bill’s chest. He initially thought that the email investigations were just a fulfillment of Trump campaign promises. Instead, it was a part of a large scale effort to take down his wife – his wife who had been recovering from emotional trauma of a bruising election – despite the fact that she was a dutiful private citizen. 

Bill’s breathing became short and labored as he tried hard not to rage in front of Chuck.

Chuck sensed Bill’s anger on the phone. “Mr. President, I know what you must feel, so I beg you to calm down. We need cool heads right now”.

“You’re right. I’m sorry”.

“No worries, Sir. But I need to you to tell Hillary about the Republican’s plan. Better that she know of this early on”

“Can’t we stop this?”, asked Bill, worried about the prospect of his wife jumping back into the political arena. “Hillary’s had enough from those bastards and I won’t let then have another opportunity to throw mud at her, if it’s the last thing I’d do”.

“We will try our best, Mr. President. But I cannot promise that Trump won’t throw the gauntlet”.

Bill sighed, acknowledging that even Chuck himself cannot stop Trump from dragging her back into the arena.

“Thanks a lot, Chuck. I appreciate it”.

“No problem, Sir. I hope Hillary’s recovering. It must be painful for her to watch all of this unfold”.

Bill nodded. “I hope she is, and I am trying to insulate her from all of this shit. Just earlier, she was complaining about the investigation. Poor Hillary. This administration is really fixated on her when there are more important issues to tackle”.

“My heart breaks for her, and I am not just being polite or anything. All these things that she had to endure from the Republicans since her days as First Lady – it’s unlike any other. And Jason Chaffetz? My God. It’s as if Hillary kidnapped his children or something.                                                                                                                                    

A sharp sting hit Bill when Chuck said “First Lady”. He simply fidgeted the collar of his shirt and swallowed, trying hard not to elicit a reaction that Chuck might hear.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

“I feel ten times worse, Chuck, seeing how she handles everything. But my God, I don’t know where she gets the strength to go on”.

“It’s from you, Sir. You were always there with her, all the ups and downs. She told me so when we spoke weeks ago. She said that you were very caring for her and she I grateful to have you by her side”.

Bill fought hard not to make his voice crack, or at least just before this phone call ended.

“I’m glad that Hillary said that, and my heart swells upon hearing that. Well, I think I need to go Chuck. We’ll keep in touch?”

“Sure. Bye, Mr. President.”.

“Bye”.

Bill cannot decide what to feel at that moment when the phone call ended. He was touched and elated that his wife was grateful for his support and she had voiced that opinion to her most trusted friend. And at the same time, he is troubled and angry at the Republican’s plan to destroy his wife who was just now living a life free of the bloodbath of politics. He tried to think what Hillary would do if he was on her shoes. He decided that he would, for now, gather more information about the plan, and devise a plan on how he could stop it before it even reached Hillary.

For the meantime,  Bill hoped that Hillary was still awake. A little comforting never hurts.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Thank you for your comments and I am so psyched that you like where this is going. I had hit a major roadblock recently - not about the direction of my fic but the implausibility of it, and some violating the rules of politics. I had actually considered re-writing all the 8 chapters I have written so far but heck, it's fiction, (or alternative reality, per Kellyanne Conway?) not term paper. LOL
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

**April 27, 2017**   
**10:34 PM**   
**Chappaqua, New York**

 

Hillary was lazily drawing circles on Bill’s chest while he was playing with her hair. It was such a lazy spring day for them. Right after they picked up their groceries at the local mart, they decided that they would take a hike in the woods. When they got home, they prepared a simple dinner and went straight into lovemaking the moment they finished dessert.

This day was representative of the weeks that Bill and Hillary spent with each other after the inauguration. Once in a while, they would go out to watch a play on Broadway. Or sometimes they would visit a local bar for a drink. When Bill had to go to NYC to sort things out at the Clinton Foundation, Hillary would go to the local bookstore to shop and then stay at Starbucks to read (she still isn’t fond of e-books). Sometimes when the mood hits her, she goes to NYC with Bill so that she could visit Chelsea and her grandchildren.

The past few weeks had been a bliss for Hillary. Without the weight of the world on her shoulders, she started to look at things life a bit differently. Just a bit, she pushed her concerns over the welfare of America aside and concentrated on the simple yet prosperous life that lay ahead of her. Relaxing has never been a forte of Hillary’s, and now, she’s slowly getting the hang of it.

“Billy Honey”, Hillary said, stifling a yawn.

“Yes, my love?” Bill replied absentmindedly.

“Nancy wants to have lunch in two days”.

“In DC?”

“Yes, love”.

Hillary could feel Bill’s chest muscles tense. She sensed that he wasn’t sold into the idea of her leaving his side.

“What does she want to talk about?”

“Not much. She wants to check on me”

“Is that all?”

Hillary shrugged. “I guess. She was quit chit-chatty about it, to be honest. It’s not as if we only have politics in common, you know”.

“You’re right, I guess. But remember, if she called you in DC…”

“Mmhmmm. I know. I know. I may not like it but I have to”.

There was a lazy, comfortable silence between the two until Bill broke the ice.

“When will you be leaving? Tomorrow? Or the day after?”

“The day after, Honey. I don’t want to leave Chappaqua just yet”.

A smile formed on Bill’s lips after hearing what his wife just said.

“You mean you don’t want to leave me”, he teased.

“Still conceited, I see”. Hillary feigned a fake outrage, her eyes narrowing.

“I wasn’t the one who keep mewling like a kitten earlier”.

_Two can play this game_ , Hillary thought. “I wasn’t the one who nixedd a meeting just because someone talked dirty with him over the phone and was too aroused to focus”.

Bill was suddenly got up. “Wait, you mean to tell me, you never…”

“Come on, Bill. All I have to do is to cross my legs.  Or even go to the ladies’ room. Huma always takes the minutes for me”.

“My God”.

Bill just laughed at this new revelation. He cannot believe how “professional” his wife is.

“What?” Hillary asked.

“Nothing”, Bill chuckled, “I am just in disbelief. All this time, I thought I was able to knock you off a meeting. Would’ve been my greatest accomplishment”.

“You wanna try now?” Hillary challenged.

And that night, Bill has yet again witnessed his wife’s “stamina”, something which Donald Trump had consistently questioned.  

_And I have no plans of ever letting him witness that_ , Bill thought.

xxx

As soon as Hillary’s car stopped in front of Nancy Pelosi’s house, the Secret Service agents opened the car door for her. A beaming Nancy welcomed Hillary and hugged her like old friends that they were.

“Hillary, my girl”, Nancy greeted Hillary with great affection.

“Nancy, Nancy, Nancy. With all the headache from the Republicans, you still look stunning”, Hillary greeted back with sincere compliment.

“Thanks, my dear. So, shall we go inside now? Let’s not wait for the grass to grow. We have a lot to catch up to”.

“Sounds like a plan, babe”.

As soon as they entered the house, Nancy’s house staff directed them to the dining room where a sumptuous lunch for two was served. The two started dining as they chatted on different topics: Republicans, their grandkids, Donald Trump, TV shows and anything else under the sun. For the first time since November, she was laughing about politics. There were times that their conversations had stung her, but somehow, her talking about it with Nancy had lifted a proverbial weight from her shoulders. After all, it was no accident that Nancy was a former speaker on the house. She really knows how to listen and to talk.

As Hillary was drinking her second glass of wine, Nancy’s face suddenly became serious.

“Hillary, I suppose you know how we are progressing on the impeachment vote?”

After all these years, Hillary still has a feud with the word “impeachment”. But of course, Nancy didn’t have to know that.

“What about it?”, Hillary asked.

Nancy shifted on her seat. “We are close to getting the number of votes to impeach Trump. And it’s not just Trump that we are planning to impeach. Mike Pence too”.

Hillary was stunned after she heard what Nancy had just said. No, no. That’s just nuts. A double impeachment of the President and the Vice President is unprecedented in American history. And a big trouble too. It would totally shatter the pillars of American democracy, something she has fought for throughout her entire career and her failed presidential campaign.

“Nancy”, said Hillary after she managed to snap out of bewilderment, “This is crazy. Like, Tea Party crazy”.

“But absolutely necessary. From what we have seen from the classified intelligence, both Trump and Pence were in cahoots with the Russians in their efforts to take you down. Don’t you see Hillary? Trump and Pence has lost every sense of legitimacy that they had. And they broke the law too. They must not be in office much longer”.

Hillary was still trying to process the troubling information that she had just received. “Why are you telling me this? I am not instrumental to your plans…”

Nancy held Hillary’s hand and squeezed it tightly.

“The moment we get a conviction from the two, there will be enough Democrats to take back the house. The backlash is too strong. I have been talking to several GOP congressmen for possible defections and I am close to getting their commitments. Once we convict them and take back the House, the Democrats will elect you as the next Speaker, ready assume the presidency, just as you ought to be”.

Crazy. Simply crazy. She have heard a lot of crazy things throughout her life, thanks to her decades-long career in politics, but none of them approach the craziness of what Nancy had just said. Hillary simply shook her head.

“I…what you’re doing is crazy”.

“Crazy but the right thing to do. You know this, Hillary. It’s the right thing to do”.

Hillary could not accept what Nancy had just proposed. Though what she was planning was perfectly constitutional, deep inside, she knew that it was wrong.

“I…I will refuse the Speakership if elected”, Hillary said with finality.

Nancy was stunned by Hillary’s sudden rejection. “Hillary, you are the rightfully elected President, and what we are doing is correcting what the system failed to do. You, of all people, know that a select few should not override the will of the majority”.

Hillary shook her head. “I know, but what you are doing is exactly what we despise: a select few overriding the will of the majority.

“But we in Congress were given a mandate”, Nancy countered.

“So was the Electoral College. Please Nancy”, Hillary pleaded, “Do not pursue your plan. It will destroy America, I just know it. I don’t know what might happen, but division might split the country into two, something that the Civil War wasn’t successful in accomplishing”.

Nancy sighed. “I cannot decide alone on that matter. I will have to bring this up to the Democratic Conference”.

“Then leave me out of your plan. I will not participate”.

Nancy recognized what defeat looks like, and it was staring her in the face. But Nancy Pelosi isn’t Nancy Pelosi if she won’t fight for it. It was not an easy task to convince the first female major party nominee to cooperate, but Nancy was sure as hell that if she could out-whip John Boehner, she can persuade Hillary Clinton to change her mind.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your encouraging comments! You guys are right - this is fiction. I can to whatever I want. Hahaha. But it seems reality is stranger than fiction - The Cheeto is undoing himself faster than I could have imagined, and somehow, making some of events in my fic come true. (And I spent a lot of time discussing this with my friends in politics. Argh)
> 
> Anyway, I am trying to incorporate some input from @RoguePOTUSStaff. Seems legit. Just without independent verification (I will trust those guys for now until they were proven to be fraud, LOL. They do provide good input for my fic though).

**April 30, 2017**  
**7:28 AM**  
**Chappaqua, New York**

 

It was a sunny, beautiful Sunday, and both Bill and Hillary were too lazy to cook breakfast (“Can we have this as a time-off from our cooking?”,“Yeah, I was just gonna say that”) so they went to a local diner and ordered themselves pancakes, eggs, bacon and coffee. The young waitress was too starstrucked at her famous customers that she ended up “flirting” with Bill but he politely swatted her off (he knew Hillary was watching him behind the New York Times that she was reading; he must behave otherwise she won’t talk to him for the rest of the day). 

Bill tried to read the Times’ A1 from across the table. It was another bombshell report from the Times which detailed the back channel communications between Trump associates, some of whom are current White House advisors, and the Kremlin. It also shed light on how the Russians channeled money into the Trump campaign illegally: using American business partners to donate money into the campaign and to pro-Trump super PACs. The Kremlin was selective of the people who would be their money middlemen: businessmen who were rich enough to not raise suspicions of funneling large sums of money and who, like Trump himself, can be blackmailed by the Kremlin any day.

Bill only read half of the article and it already made him sick to the stomach (he was suddenly dreading the pancakes). He hoped that Hillary hasn’t read the A1 yet otherwise it would destroy what he hoped to be a carefree day for them: they’re planning to spend lunch with Chelsea, Marc and the kids after church.

Thankfully, their orders have arrived and Hillary put the Times away. It seemed that she didn’t read the A1 since she remained jovial and upbeat since they came in. Bill was relieved that Hillary didn’t have the go through the excruciating details in the article, but he also knew that she was going to found out about it soon.

“Maple syrup on pancakes never fails to make me happy”, mused Hillary.

“That explains it…”, said Bill, watching his wife with utmost joy as he sipped his coffee, “for years I wonder why our cabinet never runs out of maple syrup”.

“Yep. If I’m gonna die, I’ll probably die of diabetes”.

“I’ll remember to put two bottles of maple syrup on your coffin”.

“Thanks, Honey. You’re the best”.

“Maybe instead of Honey, you’ll call me Maple Syrup”.

Hillary’s eyes narrowed at her husband’s epic fail attempt at a Dad joke. She simply stared at him with her forked pancake it the midair.

“I am so pissed at your lame Dad joke, I cannot even…”

“Lame Dad joker aside, you still find me handsome. And sexy”, Bill said smugly.

Hillary rolled her eyes. Hard.

“And a crybaby too. Gee I wonder who cried harder at Chelsea’s wedding”.

“Well, I know of someone who wanted to cry but didn’t because her mascara wasn’t waterproof”.

Hillary scrunched her face, trying not to laugh so hard. “It wasn’t my fault. My make-up artist ran out of waterproof mascara and she thought she had a spare. We had to settle for non-waterproof”.

Throughout their breakfast together, the news of bombshell NYT report was not mentioned, much to Bill’s relief. Once they have finished and paid the bill, they immediately got off to church and then to lunch with their daughter and her family. 

That night, Hillary sat in their couch, her feet folded and tucked beneath her as she answered the NYT crossword, while Bill was poring over his new book. When Hillary became too stressed with the puzzle that she was solving, she tried to start a conversation with her husband.

“Billy Honey”, Hillary called.

“Mmmhmmm?”, said Bill, still reading his book behind his reading glasses.

“Have you heard about the Congressional Democrats’ plan?”, she asked.

Bill suddenly panicked. Had she known the same thing that Chuck told him a few days ago? He wasn’t sure how to react, so he decided to appear innocent in front of his wife.

“I know Nancy is gathering votes to impeach Trump. Other than that, no. Why do you ask?” Bill took his attention away from the book to his inquiring wife.

“Well, when Nancy and I talked in DC, she told me about a plan to impeach Trump”.

“Well, that’s not really news”.

“…and Pence”.

Bill was shocked to learn this new detail of Nancy’s plan that he took off his glasses in disbelief. All Chuck told him that the Congressional Democrats would move to impeach the President, but not the Vice President too.

“Why?”, asked Bill.

Hillary shrugged. “They said they had sufficient grounds to impeach Pence as well. I mean, they do come from the same campaign and speak to the same people. It’s not far off that they knew of everything that had happened and tried to sweep it under the rug”.

_God, this is insane_ , Bill thought.

“Also, there’s more”, she added.

“What is it?”

“They require…uhm…my participation”

“How?” Bill was almost on the brink of standing up, his hands already on the arms of his chair.

Hillary fidgeted on her seat, thinking how to slowly lay it all on Bill.

“Nancy said that she’s close to getting enough commitments from Republicans to flip the Congress back to us. If that happens and the Senate votes to convict the President and the Vice President, they will elect me as Speaker”.

“That’s bullshit”.

Bill could take it no longer. He stood up and started pacing all around the living room. Hillary was afraid that Bill would not take this lightly, and she was right.

“Honey, calm down”.

Bill was so shocked that he almost forgot the entire picture. He realized that Hillary was still kept in the dark about the OTHER plan.

“I’m sorry, Honey. I overreacted”.

Hillary shook her head. “No, Sweetheart. I was like that when Nancy first told me about it too”.

“What did you say?”

Hillary sighed. “I said I wanted no part of it. As if the country’s not broken enough”.

_This is why I am so proud of her_ , Bill thought to himself, his heart bursting with pride.  

He sat down beside her, wrapped his arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek. “My girl, you didn’t cause those divisions. The Cheeto did”.

Hillary looked into his eyes and folded her lips. “I know, but that doesn’t shy from the fact that we are divided. I could not live with the guilt if it was I who did finally break us all apart”.

Bill sighed as he rubbed her shoulder. “Well, let’s just hope and pray that things get better soon. We have to. Or else we all fail”.

“I know”, Hillary replied sadly.

Silently, tears started flowing in her eyes. It took a moment before Bill noticed the wetness in her eyes so he gently rubbed her cheek with his warm, caring fingers.

“Shhhhh, don’t. It’s not your fault”, Bill tried to soothe her.

“I know, I know. It’s just that all of these wouldn’t happen if I was just a better candidate”

“No, don’t say that”, Bill said. “You’re as damn good as any candidate out there. It’s just that there was never a level playing field for you. No candidate – not me, nor Barack, not even Reagan – could survive the environment that you were in. The people, the press and the system failed you, not the other way around. Remember that. Because that’s the truth, and history will remember you as the candidate most treated unfairly and yet was so damn close to winning the presidency. Never underestimate your achievements, Hillary, for they will be greater than this President’s, or his successors”.

Hillary could not help but feel lucky and loved to have Bill has her husband, and to have fought for him when she thought she was out of her grasp.

“I love you, Honey”, Hillary whispered.

“I love you too, Babe”, Bill reciprocated.

Somewhere in Bill’s mind, in the middle of this tender moment with his wife, he decided that a call with Chuck is in order. Immediately.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The calm before the storm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am glad tor read all of your comments! As you have probably read in my replied before, I have written a couple of chapters ahead. I wrote this during a particularly stressful day (Trump's first Monday in office) and I thought this chapter might be a good breather for me and for you guys before we go to the next chapters, which would dramatically change in tone. 
> 
> Anyway, enjoy this chapter!

**May 6, 2017**  
**10:18 AM**  
**Starbucks Coffee**  
**Chappaqua, NY**  
;

The local Starbucks had been one of places Hillary frequented in the past few months. In there, the friendly baristas had reserved a table for her, located in one of the corners of the shop so she could read in peace without being bothered too much by people shaking her hand or asking for selfies. Hillary appreciated the kind gesture of the baristas that once, she gave them all small gifts during their store anniversary.

That Saturday morning, Hlllary was enjoying her usual latte while reading her book. She actually made a lot of progress in her book that morning when a young mother and her small daughter approached Hillary and said their hellos to her.

“Hi Mrs. Clinton”, the woman extender her hand to Hillary.

“Hi, what’s your name?” Hillary took the woman’s hand and shook it.

“My name is Joanne, and this is my daughter, Becky”. Joanne pointed to a shy Becky, hiding behind her mother and smiling bashfully.

“Hi Becky. How are you?”, Hillary motioned Becky to come to her.

“Come out, Becky. Mrs. Clinton wants to see you”, Joanne encouraged her daughter. 

Becky slowly came out from hiding and approached Hillary. She patted her lap to let Becky know she can sit on her. Becky obliged and sat on Hillary’s lap.

“How old are you, Becky?, Hillary asked.

“I’m seven”, Becky replied.

“Where do you live?”

“Just around the corner”

“Yes, Mrs. Clinton”, Joanne said. “We were just new in the neighborhood and Becky has been a fan of yours. She has been watching your speeches during the campaign and your TV appearances too. She and her friends organized a small watch party on election night with us Moms”.

Hillary was touched by Becky’s story. “Wow, Becky. I am touched and thrilled that you were watching me. I hope I made you proud, Sweetie”.

Becky simply nodded, still giving out that bashful smile.

“Are you doing well at school?”, Hillary asked.

“Yes, Mrs. Clinton”, Becky fidgeted in Hillary’s lap as her smile widened.

“And that’s what we’re here for, Mrs. Clinton”, Joanne interrupted. “Becky wants to have an interview with you for a school project”.

“Wow, did you really”, a flattered Hillary said. “I would be happy to answer your questions, Becky”.

Becky’s grin was now ear-to-ear, over the moon because her idol, Hillary Clinton, has agreed to grant her an interview for her school project.

“Can I take a video of the interview, Mrs. Clinton?”, Joanne asked.

“Sure. And please, just call me Hillary”.

“Okay, thank you Hillary!”

Joanne arranged the chairs so that Becky was facing Hillary and gave her daughter her interview cue cards. Once both Hillary and Becky were ready, Joanne pressed _Record_ on her phone and started filming the entire interview.

“Okay, question number one. What has been your experience in public service?”, Beck read from her cue card.

“Well Becky, I was First Lady of the United States, meaning, my husband was the President…”

“Your husband was a President?!”, a dumbfounded Becky asked, eyes wide and her mouth in a big O.

Hillary chuckled at Becky’s cute reaction. “Yes, little Becky. I was a First Lady. That’s what they call wives of Presidents”.

“But what does First Ladies do? Do they get first in line in everything?”

_This girl is wicked smart_ , Hillary thought.

“No, Becky. First Ladies support their husbands in their work. Like when my husband was President, I supported his dream of people with disabilities getting treated fairly. So I worked with other important people and we managed make it possible that children with disabilities get to go to school like normal kids could”.

“That’s why Lisa can go to school with you, Becky”, Joanne added. She then turned to Hillary.“Lisa is a friend of Becky’s whose legs are too frail for her to walk”.

“If not for you, Mrs. Clinton, maybe Lisa and I would not be friends”, Becky noted.

“Well, I am glad to have made you and Lisa friends”, Hillary replied sincerely.

Becky just smiled, still thrilled at the interview, “Okay, so you’re First Lady, but Mom said you had many jobs before”

“Aaaah, yes”, said Hillary, uncrossing her legs. “I worked as a Senator for New York too. I write laws to benefit us New Yorkers and the rest of America too. Then I became Secretary of State. I worked with people from other countries to help make the world safer and more secure”.

“Wow”, said an astonished Becky. “I wanna be like that too”.

Hillary took a sip from her latte. “Yes, Sweetie. You can. You’re really a smart girl, from what I can tell. And confident too”.

Becky was so flattered by Hillary’s comments that she stood up and ran to her Mom and hid. Both Hillary and Joanne encouraged Becky to finish the interview.

The rest of the interview went smoothly, and it was enjoyable for Hillary, Becky and Joanne. It was one of the rare occasions since the election that Hillary got to speak at length with a member of the public, and, truth be told, she missed talking to the public. Especially to younger kids.

Joanne and Becky stayed with Hillary even after the interview ended. Joanne asked Hillary how she was coping with the loss. Hillary was surprised that talking about her loss didn’t sting as bad as it used to, despite the fact that she cried about it a few days ago, but she was glad at the development. On the other hand, Joanne told the story of her struggle to Hillary, how she, a newly divorced woman, struggles to adjust to a life without her husband and how she worries about Becky’s future.

“What does Becky want to do when she grow-up anyway?”, asked Hillary, genuinely curious about Becky.

“Oh, she wants to be a journalist”, said a proud Joanne.

“She’s gonna be perfect, I can tell. She’s a natural. She always asks questions”, Hillary praised.

“Yes, I know. And I am proud that she has a clear vision of what she wanted to do in life. And a noble one too”

“Yes”, Joanne nodded slowly, her voice dripping with admiration for her daughter, “I could not overemphasize how lucky I am to have Becky.

Hillary knew the feeling very well. It was the same feeling she had every time she sees her own daughter Chelsea being a champion of noble causes and a good mother to her two children.

The three of them were lost into deep chatter when suddenly, Hillary’s phone rang. It was Bill. She had to excuse herself from the two to take the call. Apparently, Bill was calling to let her know that he will be home soon.

“I’m sorry, Joanne, Becky”, Hillary said when she came back. “My husband is coming home soon and he wants me back at the house”.

“Oh, not at all, Hillary. We’re thankful that you decided to talk to us”

Hillary packed her things and hugged Joanne and Becky. But before Hillary was able to leave, Becky tugged her hand.

“What is it Becky”, Hillary asked.

Becky opened her backpack and took out what it seemed like a handmade card. She handed it over to Hillary, who was touched by this kind gesture. Hillary opened the card and she saw a drawing of two women beneath the American flag. Below was a caption on the drawing: MADAM PRESIDENTS HILLARY AND BECKY.

Hillary tried to hold back her tears, hoping that she Joanne and Becky won’t notice. Right then and there, she managed to regain her purpose, something she tried to push away after that devastating election.

She’ll come right back home to where her heart is: Woman, children and families.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the late update! I had actually written this chapter a few weeks ago but I lost my story file. :( Thank God I had a back up at my work PC (hahahaha, bad me) 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. I will post the other two chapters I have written ASAP. :)

**June 29, 2017**  
**2:37 AM**  
**Whitehaven Mansion, DC**

 

_Breaking News from Washington DC: In a dramatic move early Thursday morning, the House of Representatives have voted to impeach President Trump on two charges: treason and violation of the Emoluments Clause. This comes after months of allegations which hounded the President since December of last year, when reports that the Russian government had actively moved to undermine the candidacy of Hillary Clinton surfaced. Furthermore, there has been a steady stream of news reports since then that corroborated these claims. What’s more is that there were discoveries that the Trump campaign and Trump himself had contacted the Kremlin in order to turn the race into their favor._

Everybody inside the Whitehaven Mansion was holding their breaths. Bill and Hillary, along with their slew of aides and confidantes, were monitoring the crucial vote led by Nancy Pelosi on the House floor. The people in the room uttered a reactionary “Shit” or “Fuck”. Meanwhile, the Clintons were both silent. Hillary simply had her hands on her mouth, while Bill had his hands folded in prayer, digesting the entire scenario as it unfolded in front of them.

“This is unbelievable”, Cheryl Mills said.

“I know”, Huma Abedin seconded.

“Nancy is really going with her plan”, former Majority Leader Harry Reid noted as he rubbed his face with his hand.

“Yes, but there is no question she would do it. The wild card right now is Mike Pence”, said Bill.

“I think she will force it”, said Chuck Schumer. “The motion to impeach Pence is on the floor right now”.

“Oh God”, Hillary spoke for the first time.

Before anybody could say another word, another breaking news advisory had appeared on the television screen.

_Another breaking news on this hour: Our news team has confirmed that the motion to impeach Vice President Pence is also on the floor and that the House of Representatives is set to vote on it anytime soon before Congress officially suspends its session for the summer. We will be awaiting for further developments on that vote and we will give you live coverage of the vote the moment it begins._

“See, there you go”, said Chuck.

“This is so not happening”, Hillary lamented, feeling sick to her stomach.

“I know you have rejected Nancy’s plan, but the ball is all yours, Hillary”, Chuck said. “I’m sorry that it has to come to this”.

“I know”, Hillary sighed. “Things were never easy for me”

“Hey hey, Hill”, Bill said as he rubbed his wife’s back. “Relax. Breathe. You don’t have to take it all in”.

“It’s true”, Harry interrupted, “you still have several months to think about it. The Senate won’t act on the impeachment until the fall. Even then, the Senate might vote to acquit”.

“Damn, how can you vote to acquit those two?”, asked an indignant Bill.

Harry shrugged. “McConnell is there, don’t forget. He’s willing to suck it for Trump. Remember that he had been obstructing any action against the Russian interference since last year”.

“Jesus Christ”, Bill interjected. “The politics isn’t there, Chuck. The public opinion is strong. Anything but a conviction – even an impasse – will yield to a GOP backlash”.

“I know”, Harry said, “but all the rules of politics have been broken by the President. I mean, how the world did he manage to hang on to the Presidency for four months after all what we discovered about him? He really lives up to the Teflon Don monicker”

“God, what did we do to deserve this”, moaned Bill, his face buried in his hands.

Frankly, nobody could answer Bill’s question. How on earth did USA end up in such a deep mess?

“I have no illusions of taking the presidency again but is there another way that we hold those two accountable? I mean, they betrayed us all”, Hillary interjected, trying to shift the conversation.

Chuck shook his head. “No, impeachment is our best option”.

Both Bill and Hillary sighed.

“In the event that both are convicted and Nancy manages to successfully stages her coup in Congress, who will succeed?”, Hillary asked.

“Well, initially, it should be you”, Chuck replied, “but since you refuse to participate, my best guess would be Nancy”.

“…which would be deeply problematic”, Harry said. “It would simply look like a power grab, given that she orchestrated the impeachment and the House coup. But if it was you…”

“…there would be a semblance of a mandate since you won the popular vote in the previous election”, Bill finished.

“Yes. What Nancy is trying to do is to correct the mistakes of the previous election, which was never free and fair to begin with”, Chuck added. “There is no doubt that you would have won if not for the Russians, Wikileaks and their slew of trolls and fake news against you”.

“But the FBI interfered too”, reminded Bill.

“Well, yes. But removing Comey might be more dangerous than letting him stay. Who knows who Trump could appoint. He already skirted around the nepotism law with this son-in-law”, Chuck told Bill.

“Jesus”. Bill simply rubbed his forehead, disbelieving in the kind of shitstorm the United States was in.

“Even all of this happened”, said Hillary, who finally stood up started to pace back and forth in the room, “I do not think this will solve the problem of Trump’s illegitimacy. This is like a Third World country power grab. We are better than this. Also, Nancy’s plan risks the country of being divided further than we have ever been. I don’t know if we could all survive. I mean, the previous election was bruising enough. What more if we force Trump out of office?”

Somehow, everybody in the room became silent, contemplating on the impact of what Hillary just said. Nancy’s plan is all good politics, but it would certainly push the country into uncharted territory.  America had never experienced anything like this before. Their plan would seriously test the strength of America’s democracy and if somehow America survived, then thank God. If not…Hillary could not fathom the consequences.

All thoughts on everyone’s mind were halted when the anchor on TV announced another breaking news.

_Breaking News: The House of Representatives has also voted to impeach Vice President Pence for treason. This is connected to the allegations of Russian interference on the election. The Vice President is said to be an accessory to treason based on the leaks reported in the press from high-level intelligence sources. This is the first time in American history that Congress voted to impeach the President and the Vice President._

“Oh God, here it is”, Hillary moaned.  

“You had to give it to Nancy. She really gets things done”, joked Chuck, albeit darkly.

“The ball is rolling now, Hillary. You have two months to think about this”, Harry said.

Hillary simply looked at Bill for strength and solace. Bill mouthed a silent “We can do this, Honey” and Hillary smiled, appreciating her husband’s show of support.

She asked to be excused from the room and took Bill to the kitchen, where she spoke to her husband privately.

“So what now”, Hillary sought her husband’s counsel as she crossed her arms and leaned her back against the kitchen wall.

“Well, you have two months. Are you still intent on saying no?”

Hillary nodded. “I was, but when I heard what you said, that I would bring a semblance of a mandate, I wasn’t so sure anymore”.

Bill brushed his palms into his wife’s cheek. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to confuse you”.

“It’s okay”, Hillary said as she grabbed his hand and squeezed it tightly.  “It was good to hear the other side too. I didn’t realize that there would be so much at stake if I refuse”.

“It’s just…” Hillary looked away. “…it’s just I am afraid that if I emerge from my private life, I would be humiliated again. Like I had always been”.

“Sssssshhhh, shhhhhh, don’t say that”, Bill comforted Hillary as he enveloped her in his warm embrace. “I understand how you feel. But I know you. You’ll think it through and I know you’ll make the right decision. Remember, it’s never a good bet to reject your advice. That speaks volumes to your judgement and wisdom”

A very clearly touched Hillary smiled at the praise from her husband, feeling the sincerity in his words.

“What did I do to deserve you”, said Hillary.

They took this moment of privacy as an opportunity to clear their heads and take control of the situation. In the spur of the moment, Hillary warped her arms around Bill’s body and he then wrapped his against her back, enveloping her in his warm embrace. They simply relished their solitude, not talking, but just feeling the company of each other, knowing that no matter what happens, they will always each other’s back, in good times and in bad. In joy and heartbreak.

Somewhere between the comforting arms of her husband, turmoil began to from on Hillary’s mind. Her two months of reflection has begun. Whatever her decision might be could deeply impact the future of America: she could either save it, or destroy it.  

But she’s not too worried. Or least, not as worried as she should have been.

She has Bill beside her.  


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Donald Trump is fuuuuuuun.

**July 26, 2017**   
**9:02 PM**   
**White House East Room**   
**Washington, DC**

 

Donald Trump has called the press the previous day for a live address in front of the nation. The embattled President has fended off steady drips of new allegations against him about his activity with the Russians to rig the elections since the House voted to impeach him and his Vice President. To add insult to injury, he was forced to fire his National Security Adviser as a result of new reports that he was his pointman to the Kremlin. And the new accusations have opened the floodgates to a majority opposition led by Nancy Pelosi and California Democrat Maxine Waters, who had been leading the charge for Trump's impeachment. When the White House Press Office announced the live address, it was expected that Trump would announce his resignation to shield himself from further embarrassment.

President Trump entered the East Room without prepared remarks in his hand. Typical Donald. He smiled and waved at the cameras as if there was a massive audience in front of him and started giving out his live address:

_Good evening.  During our campaign, we have solely promised one thing: That we will Make America Great Again.  And during the past six months, I have succeeded in doing just that. Jobs are back in America, crimes in inner cities are down and illegal immigrants have stopped flooding in our borders. We are even building that beautiful wall and the Mexicans will be paying for it! Frankly, I believe that we are doing a good job. The progress we’ve made in the past few months is unbelievable. And to be honest, I do not deserve the hostility that I get from the corrupt mainstream media and the supporters of Crooked Hillary who are still trying to blame their horrible candidate’s loss on me. For the record, it is not my fault that I did not campaign in Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania. It’s her decision, not mine. Okay?_

_But, since all of the corrupt people are ganging up on me, it’s time for us to take a stand. I will not allow the presidency to be stolen by bad, bad people. I was elected in here legitimately, and I did not cheat. I mean, who does that these days? I did not talk to Putin or to anybody else in my campaign. Just me, and my campaign staff. Actually, there was massive cheating, and Crooked Hillary was behind it. Think about it, I won the Presidency and yet she got more votes? That’s because she allowed millions and millions of illegal voters in this country and they all went for her. Of course, the illegals don’t like me because I will deport them back to their home countries. They do not make America great and I will put a stop into that._

An audible groan was heard from the press in the room.

_And you know, what, since I was cheated, we need to correct that. We need to correct that. So I say to you, Crooked Hillary: Let’s duke it out again. Man to man. No cheating. No illegals to vote for you since I already kicked them out. I know you are no coward, Hillary, I give you that much. I even said so in the debates. But, let’s play fair, okay? I will prove to you, and to the American people that I am the true President of the United States. I deserve your respect, and this rematch will once and for all erase the doubts of all you people who do nothing but bash me every day on Twitter. And I am talking to you, the corrupt mainstream media. This time, with no cheating, I will win the Electoral College and the popular vote bigly, that none of you will ever say “Fake President Trump” or “So-called President” even again. Are we clear?_

_So, Congress, I ask you to pass a Constitutional amendment that will allow me and Crooked Hillary to run against each other again. Maybe we can set this at the next midterm election. It’s a great idea, I think. And whoever wins will take office. If she wins, I will bow out gracefully. If I win, she will order her supporters and her lackeys in the media to stop lashing out on me. It’s disgusting, and totally disrespectful of the President. I mean, no President has ever been more disrespected than me, am I right folks? You press people weren’t even laughing at my jokes at the White House Correspondents Dinner. You sick people. But it’s the past and I should totally forgive you for what you have done but we all know what you did was petty and it was disgusting._

_Now, Crooked Hillary. I will wait for your reply. I will patiently wait for it and will give you time and space to think about it, because that’s what a gentleman like me does. So, I leave you all. Good night everybody._

Xxx

**July 26, 2017**  
**9:24 PM**  
**Whitehaven Mansion**  
**Washington, DC**

 

The colors in Hillary’s face were drained as she watched the President announce his intention to challenge her to a rematch, cold sweat starting to form in her wrinkled forehead. Her worst fears had been realized: she had been dragged back to the political arena when she wanted no more of it for good. Either choice she makes could spell disaster for her: If she accepts, she would be again subjected to bruising attacks 24/7 and she wasn’t sure she could endure another humiliating loss from her former presidential rival. If she declines, she would be forever haunted by the Democratic base and her supporters for refusing to save the country from Trump and redeem the honor of America in front of the entire world. Needless to say, she was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Only a hundred times worse.

Like when Congress voted to impeach the President and Vice President, Hillary was monitoring the situation in their Whitehaven home, along with her husband and her closest advisers and allies.

“The guy’s really out of his mind”, Bill mused, trying to lighten the situation. “No Congress will pass that amendment that he wants. And why waste political capital on a snap election?”

“They believe they do not have anything to lose but everything to gain when Hillary’s back in the arena”, Chuck Schumer replied. “Frankly, Trump does better when he’s on mano-a-mano with Hillary”

 Bill wiped his face in exasperation. “Damn, damn, damn”.

“Hillary shouldn’t answer now. There’s no assurance that Congress will pass. If she says yes and Congress refused, it’ll all blow up in her face”, warned Cheryl Mills.

“I agree. Too risky to say anything at this point”, Harry Reid seconded.

“With this and the double impeachment, it’s obvious that Trump is fighting for his political life and legitimacy. However, with the voter purge the states are doing and the possible second interference by the Russians, I do not think we could win if we say yes”, Hillary pointed out.

“That’s where I disagree with you, Hillary”, said Harry. “Anything but a victory for you would imply Russian interference and voter fraud. Because one: the Russians clearly do not want you to be the president of the United States. Two: Voter fraud is targeting your voters. Once they’re off the rolls, this will create backlash and we can call the system rigged just like what Trump did. What’s more is that this is a real injustice and I think it will resonate across party lines. And three: You got more votes in the last election. There’s no doubt you can shore up the numbers again. We have the numbers to last up a generation. It’s just the map is against us”.

Hillary knew perfectly what Harry meant by “map”. The word brought a little sting in her chest, but not as painful as it was before.

The team discussed their next course of action and called top Democratic leadership to inform them of their plans. For the meantime, they decided to put out a press release blasting the challenge, saying that the President’s move reeks of authoritarianism and reminded the people that the Russians have conspired to get him elected. Bill was a bit concerned that the tone of the press release would downplay a potential acceptance to the challenge by Hillary, but the team was confident that clamor for her to run will come naturally and the press release will not gain much attention.

Once her advisers have left the mansion, Bill finally asked Hillary what was on her mind.

“Even though it has happened, I still cannot believe that this is true”, said Hillary. “I kept pinching myself and then I always realized that I am already awake. But this is not a dream, though. This is an absolute nightmare”.

He kissed her forehead, hoping he could drive her worries away. “I know, my love. Nobody deserves this. Certainly not you. What do you plan to do anyway?”

Hillary was fidgeting in her seat, mumbling something that Bill could barely hear.

“I’m sorry, Honey, what is it?” Bill lowered his head to her lips so he could hear.

“I want to go back to Arkansas”.


	9. Chapter 9

**August 8, 2017**   
**9:15 PM**   
**Little Rock, Arkansas**

 

As soon as Hillary requested that they go back to their Arkansas home, Bill booked a flight to Little Rock and quietly drove to their old sanctuary – the place where their lives were much simpler. Hillary wanted to stay away from the flurry of politics and the media when she decides on her next course of action. She demanded that she be cut off from communication from DC and New York as much as possible. Even Chelsea was barred from speaking to her mother. Hillary wanted a clear mind when she mull over things; mounting a challenge to the President of the United States was no easy feat after all.

When they were already in Arkansas, Hillary requested that the research compiled by her team be sent to her. The “exploratory” team, led by Harry Reid, summed their findings into a thick binder, which was personally delivered to her by Huma Abedin. Hillary was intent on her isolation that she sent Huma back to New York as soon as she was handed the folder.

Over the past few days, Hillary limited her interaction to people. Aside from Secret Service, the only person who was allowed to see Hillary was her husband. When they needed to go out, like at church or at the restaurant, Hillary minimized talking to well-wishers and people who were urging her to run. Bill was having an extremely hard time fending them off since he did not want people bugging his wife so much but he did not want to appear rude either.

On their bedroom, Hillary, dressed in her nightgown, flipped the pages of the binder, reading the notes and comments from her advisers neatly written in the margins. She had been reading the binder for days and while she had a legendary skill of taking vast amounts of information (thanks to her invaluable experience in policy briefings), she still felt overwhelmed. Perhaps because none of the briefings she had before had such emotional toll as this one.

She turned the page and noticed a paragraph highlighted in orange:

_A change.org petition had been initiated by a young Clinton 2016 delegate from Missouri (read the roll call for Missouri in the 2016 DNC) immediately after Donald Trump challenged HRC and as of August 1, 2017, the petition has gathered 10.4M signatures, the largest of any petition sponsored by change.org. This smashes the record held by the petition for the electors to select HRC as the next president (4.5M)_

Since Hillary was isolated from the news after Trump’s challenge, it was the first time that she learned about the said information. She felt a painful twinge in her heart. She was touched and overwhelmed by the support that these people have given her, but where were they when she needed them the most? Will they abandon her again when it really counts?

Shaking her head, Hillary read the notes accompanying the highlighted text.

“The anger is real. The movement is real. We can tap into their anger and turn them into positive action – HR”

“Very encouraging. Never seen anything like it - JB”

Even with her team’s encouragement, she was still not persuaded. After the shocking results of 2016, she had a traumatic relationship with polling data and would not easily be encouraged by positive- looking numbers. Even during the post-election briefings with Robby and her former team, she would ask more detailed questions (or at least, more detailed for her standards) and still took the information with a grain of salt. She was finally satisfied with the report when Bill corroborated with some on the ground information that he gathered from their other allies.  

Reading a few more pages, she finally encountered another highlighted paragraph. But this time, the said paragraph was enclosed in a big circle:

_If HRC decides to challenge DT, an arrest is all but assured. Sources from the WH and the DOJ confirm with D leadership that Sessions will order the arrest, as early as one week after HRC accepts the challenge. HRC is currently under investigation for violating the Federal Records Act, but no one who has been out of federal service has ever been punished for such violation. These actions are similar to what dictators did to their critics (Yulia Tymoshenko of Ukraine, Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar)_

In the margins was a handwriting too familiar to her: It was of her daughter, Chelsea.

_Mom, I fear for what will happen to you if you accept this challenge. But whatever you decide, I will accept whole heartedly. I love you so much - Chels_

Hillary felt hot tears streaming down her face and tossed the binder to the foot of the bed. She stood up and started pacing the room, taking in deep breaths to contemplate what she had just read. Amidst all the pressure piling up on her shoulders, she almost forgot that she had a family to take care of. A husband. A daughter. A son-in-law. Two doting grandchildren.

If she runs, she could not imagine emotional turmoil that she would once again set on her family. The campaign alone was bruising for all of them. Her impending arrest might break them all. A wave of guilt flooded over her and she started sobbing, crashing on the cold carpet.

Xxx

Bill was sitting in the front porch of their house, drinking a glass of whiskey. He was waiting for Hillary to call him to bed, as he knew he was upstairs, reading the research binder given by her team. He, of course, was given a briefing on the contents of the binder, albeit less detailed than what Hillary had. But it was enough for him to draw his own conclusions.

If he had his way, if there were consequences, he would ask Hillary to refuse the challenge. He, her dedicated emotional guardian and protector, cannot bear to see her crucified again in front of the entire American people, just like what they did a few months ago. She deserves happiness, not persecution. Bill swallowed the remainder of his whiskey as he recalled the moment she died on the proverbial cross that morning of November 9.

_Now, I know we have still not shattered that highest and hardest glass ceiling, but someday someone will — and hopefully sooner than we might think right now._

_Because, you know, I believe we are stronger together and we will go forward together. And you should never, ever regret fighting for that. You know, scripture tells us, let us not grow weary of doing good, for in good season we shall reap. My friends, let us have faith in each other, let us not grow weary and lose heart, for there are more seasons to come and there is more work to do._

Bill took a deep breath, fighting to hold back tears. He never doubted what his wife could do. Not once. He knew in his heart that she was destined for great things. Greater than he could have ever been. She worked hard for both of them, for their family. For the country. For the world. But who reaped the glory? Him. Who paid the price? Her.

Despite his personal feelings on his wife’s destiny, he knew perfectly well that she is thrusted with an awesome responsibility to save her people from utter destruction; that she is the North Star that shines brightly in a dark night sky, that she is now, again, the only person standing in the way of America and Her ultimate collapse.  

Bill looked up in the starless sky and offered a prayer for his wife, begging the Lord to guide her in the toughest decision she ever had to make in her life.

As soon as he finished his solemn prayer, Bill heard the sound of sobbing from the second floor. In a swish of a finger, he was gone from the porch and up on their bedroom.

Xxx

“Oh, Hillary,my love…”

Bill found his wife crying at the foot of their bed. He knelt beside her and took her into his arms, so she was sobbing in her chest instead. Her tears soaked the fabric of his pajama shirt. He stroked her forehead gently, just as he always do, whenever she’s tired, she’s stressed, or she’s just reveling his company. His touch on her forehead is his silent language, his means to tell her that he’s there.

“Shhhh…it’s okay, Honey…it’s okay…”

And just like that, it was like magic. Hillary’s cry had subsided the moment his palm touched the wrinkled skin of her forehead. Tears were still present in her eyes, but she had seemed to calm down from her crying. Bill held his wife in his strong arms, not talking, not crying, just breathing in silence, fully aware of each other’s presence, and the thought that no matter what happens, they would always have each other.

When Bill felt that Hillary was breathing smoothly again, she lifted her up into a more comfortable sitting position and kissed her nose affectionately, sending a cozy warm feeling across his body.

He had hoped to see a smile from his wife’s face, but there was none.

“What’s wrong, Babe?”, Bill finally asked.

She cupped his face with her hands and eyes met his, searching deeply for his soul.

“When we got back together, when we finally healed our wounds, I never really realized until now how much you sacrificed for me, how much you gave up for me so that you could support me. You could have been enjoying a peaceful, happy life, doing the things you love, if I hadn’t run for office. Your legacy could have been intact if I was not in the political arena. Trump could not have humiliated you in the campaign had I not run for the presidency. Our lives could have been so much better if I just stayed in the sidelines. But I never heard a single complain from you. I dragged you to the mud and you – the resilient, strong man I luckily married – not a peep from you. And I…”, her voice started to crack, “…I am forever grateful for the love that you have given me.”

Bill shook his head and looked at his wife with sad eyes. “No, my love. It was the other way around. All the transgressions against you, my failure to usher you to your dreams…I am only paying back for what you have given me, and I do not think I will ever going to. No person – man or woman – should suffer the same way as you did. I could not protect you, just as I promised to do so forty-one years ago”.

Bill dropped his head until their foreheads had touched. Hillary was devastated to see her husband this way, blaming himself for all the misfortunes that occurred in her life. While there were downfalls along the way, it was Bill who provided her with the blanket of love and happiness, something that no one could ever give her.

It was Hillary’s turn to kiss her husband’s nose.

“No, Honey. Don’t you blame yourself one bit. That’s the last thing I want you to do. We’ve been through much worse and we soldiered on.  I want you to honor what he have – all the good and the bad. Remember 1992? _Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow_? We’ve been in trouble before, and I know we’ll still be in trouble tomorrow, but I want to spend all of my troubling days with you. Do you hear me?”

Bill simply smiled, but curve on his lips could not hide the regret in his eyes.

When she felt Bill relax in her touch, she figured that it was probably time for her to ask the thing that always was in her mind.

“Billy…Honey…I want you do be honest with me, just was you were many times ago”, Hillary said

Bill lifted his head, bracing for his wife’s question.

Hillary took a deep breath. “I want you to tell me if I should run. What you really wanted”.

He swallowed before answering. Of course she would ask that.

“I…I do not want you to run”.

Hillary was taken aback by his response. If anything, he was the natural politician between them and he relishes campaigning and talking to people. He was forcefully encouraging Hillary on her two presidential runs. And now he doesn’t want her to run?

“Why?”, she asked.

He shook his head.

“The experience that you had in the last campaign…it’s too much. I cannot bear to see you heartbroken again. Also, there are other people very much willing to step up and carry the torch of the resistance. It’s time for you to enjoy the remainder of your life. You are not exactly a spring chicken, my love, and you have already served this country more than what will ever be required of us”.

“But, I want you to listen, and I want you to think about this very hard: America needs you now. I cannot overemphasize this. You are the only person who can redeem the glory of this nation. Your unimpeachable honor, your unquestionable faith and your untarnished integrity, no matter what your critics say, makes you the only person who can restore the full powers of the American democracy. It had survived for two hundred and forty one years. It might not make it to two hundred and forty two”.

Hillary didn’t respond. She was drinking it all in, her head leaning towards her shoulder.

Slowly, tears began flowing from her eyes again, finally succumbing to the emotions that she put at bay. She had almost forgotten her lifelong creed: That this was never about her. This was all for her beloved America. And even though nobody acknowledged it, her family knew that she could never be theirs, that she always belonged to the nation that she swore her allegiance to. America was Hillary’s second spouse and second child altogether.

Her vision had never been clearer. Jumping back into the arena will certainly spell her impending doom, but it not her, then who? If not now, when?

As she worked up her strength to finally stand up, she offered a silent prayer for the dark journey ahead.  

_If it is possible, let this cup pass me by. Nevertheless, let it be as You, not I, would have it._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I formulated this story, this chapter has always been in my mind, clear as day. I told myself that no matter what happened in between, this chapter must appear in the original form that I had intended it. And it did.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the awesome comments! I am so touched and inspired to go on. I have run out of stock chapters but I promise I will upload one ASAP. I have shifted course from my original story and I need to shift the timeline. I need help though. If you wanna lend a helping hand, just let me know!
> 
> I was rereading my story. I had Michael Flynn fired waaaaaaay later than in reality. LOL. I think I should stop writing because reality is way better than fiction. Just kidding.

**August 29, 2017**  
**7:48PM**  
**Whitehaven Mansion**  
**Washington, DC**

 

Hundreds. No. Thousands.

Those were unofficial media estimates of the number of people barricading the Clinton residence in DC.

After Attorney General Jeff Sessions issued the arrest warrant against Hillary (surprise, surprise), people from across DC and neighboring states descended upon Hillary’s DC home to create a human shield against the law enforcement officers who would arrest the former Secretary of State. After the DOJ had announced that the protesters would be charged with obstruction of justice for impeding Hillary’s arrest, this just fueled more people to protest in front of the Clinton residence, protecting the former presidential candidate from being taken by the law enforcers.

The protesters got a boost when civil rights icon John Lewis joined the human barricade, reminiscent of the civil disobedience that MLK led during the civil rights movement. After John Lewis, more House and Senate Democrats have joined the vigil, singing and praying peacefully in the streets of DC against the unjust arrest of Hillary Clinton. Everyone in the streets knows that the warrant was just a cover by the Trump administration to hide the fact that they themselves were guilty of the same charges that they accused her, and to destroy her renewed political capital following her acceptance of President Trump’s challenge for a rematch.

Inside the Whitehaven Mansion were the entire Clinton family (nuclear and extended), Harry Reid, Cheryl Mills, Nick Merrill, Huma Abedin and her former and current running mate, Tim Kaine. Hillary wanted to have a little number of people as possible when she receives the warrant. For the meantime, Mills would be the one representing her in court.

“Just got a tip: the DOJ would use a chopper to hand over the warrant”, Harry Reid said.

“Bad idea. If the people see it, it might incite violence from the protesters”, Bill noted.

Hillary shook her head. “Not unless we say early that I will submit to the warrant”.

“I’m not so sure that will be helpful, Hillary”, replied Nick Merrill. “These people do not want you to submit yourself. They think the warrant is unjust”.

“It is”, said Hillary. “Any sane person knows it’s crap but the consequences are worse if I evade the arrest. The administration will have more reasons to go after me than they already have”.

“We can appeal to the courts to take down the arrest. That should be quite easy”, suggested Cheryl Mills.

“I am much more comfortable with that”, Hillary seconded, rubbing her chin. “Let the courts strike that down”.

“How long will it take? I do not want my wife to be locked up for too long”, Bill expressed his concern.

“We can call for an emergency petition for this”, said Cheryl. “One week tops”.

“One week?! They can’t lock up my wife for that long”, said an indignant Bill.

Cheryl simply shrugged. “Either that or additional charges. We all know this was gonna happen”. 

“But if we win this, we’ll have wind on our backs. We badly need it right now”, said Hillary. 

“That I cannot dispute”, Tim Kaine replied. “This might be up all the way to the Supreme Court, but I’m confident that we will win”.

“Even with a 5-4 majority?”, Bill asked.

“Yes. Kennedy or Roberts will swing. They aren’t fools. There’s conservative justices, not right-wing idiots. My guess is 7-2. Alito and Thomas will be in the minority.”

“That’s settled then. We’ll release a statement saying that you will submit to the warrant. I will make a draft right away”, said Nick.

“No, Nick”, overruled Hillary, “I will speak to the public directly. “They deserve to hear from me”.

“I am for it too. Can you prepare a speech right away, Nick”?”, said Bill.

“No need, Honey. I’ll make up once I’m there”

“You sure?” Bill wrapped his arm around his wife.

Hillary leaned her head around his arm. “Yes, Honey. I’ll be fine”.

For someone about to be arrested, Hillary was unusually calm.

Xxx

Around 10PM, Team Hillary sent out word to the protesters that she would speak to them in a while, which was met with enormous cheers. They also notified DOJ that they would Hillary would be submitting herself to the warrant and that law enforcement should standby in front of her house for the turnover.

The TV networks who were covering the protests were also notified of the upcoming speech (but nothing more) and all of them decided that they would carry her speech live. Unbeknownst to the world, the entire America would bear witness to the arrest of Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Once all the details were finalized, Team Hillary decided that it was time for her to get out and talk to the people. Hillary, Bill, Chelsea and Marc appeared at the door, and they were greeted by massive applause and chants of “Hillary! Hillary!”.  Hillary was beaming and waving at her supporters, but it was noticeable that the rest of her family were wearing their faces as if they were in a funeral. This did not go unnoticed to the hawk-like eye of press people who were covering the event. This prompted early speculation in social media that there might be something more than a speech.

Team Hillary did not prepare a stage for her to speak into, so instead, she was handed a megaphone so that she could reach more people. Even so, the megaphone still wasn’t enough for all the protesters to hear her. But her supporters would not be deterred. The protesters near where Hillary would speak broadcasted via Facebook Live and Periscope, while others used their phones to catch livestreams of TV networks. It was an amazing sight to see. The physical barrier between Hillary and the thousands of her supporters was instantaneously crumbled by their unshakable wills.

Hillary waved to the crowd and they immediately fell silent, eager to listen to the President’s challenger.

“My friends, I am so thankful to all of you that you came here to show your support to me, even on short notice. Even if we did not ask for it, you still came. It warms my heart deeply, and I am very touched to know that you still have my back, despite the fact that I failed you all. I…I cannot express how lucky and fortunate I am to have supporters like you”.

Hillary’s voice started to crack, and it prompted another round of “Hillary! Hillary!” from the protesters.

“But my friends, despite the deeply divided landscape of our country, I want you all to remember: We must put our faith in our country. Put our faith in our democracy. Put our faith in our government. Put our faith in our courts. Put our faiths in each other.  Because it is all we have. If we stop having faith in each other, then we fail. I have always put my faith in America, and She has not failed me yet. It is never a good bet to bet against America”.

The crowd was crying with “No, America failed you” and “We failed you Hillary”. There wasn’t a dry eye in the streets.

“So my friends, it is with this unshakeable faith that I will submit myself to the law enforcement. We are a nation of laws, and no one is above it, whether it be a President or a former Secretary of State. I believe that in the end, justice will prevail. While I am thankful that you have fought for me, I must ask you to let due process take its course. Because we are in America, the land of the free and the home of the brave”.

“I know that many of you might be discouraged by the events that are unfolding. But do not worry: I will resist with you. I will fight with you, no matter where I go. Because the cause we are fighting for is bigger than any individual, no matter how powerful. Keep fighting, keep resisting, because we know we are on the right side of history. And in the end, the good shall always prevail over evil. “

Hillary was met by massive applauses and cries, both in exaltation and despair. They have never seen anything like it.

“My friends, before I leave, I want you to do something for me: I want you to raise your right hand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance with me”

Everybody followed Hillary’s lead and recited the Pledge of Allegiance, instilling love for America to every single person present, protester or law enforcement:

_I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all._

After the Pledge of Allegiance, the crowd cheered in support for Hillary. She parted the crowd as she made her way to the law enforcement who was ordered to arrest her, submitting herself to their authority.

The law enforcement spared Hillary from the spectacle of being read her Miranda Rights in front of the public. Instead, she was escorted to a high-security van which drove her to the straight to DOJ headquarters.

The fall of Hillary Rodham Clinton. It took the Republicans 25 years to make it happen.

It finally did.

Xxx

 **August 30, 1990**  
**4:38 AM**  
**Whitehaven Mansion**  
**Washington, DC**

 

A very distraught Bill came home from the DOJ, excruciated to have seen his wife carted off to jail. It took so much effort from him not to cry in front of her. Not now. Not when she needed him the most.

After Bill left the DOJ, Huma handed him a neatly folded letter. Hillary asked her to hand her this letter after she was gone. He had an inkling of what the contents of the letter were, but it did not calm Bill’s overwhelming emotions:  

_My Dearest Bill,_

_I’m sorry that I have to tell you everything I want to say in this letter, but I fear that if I tell you personally, I would cry so much that I cannot say what I really wanted to say._

_First of all, I am sorry for the pain that I have once again brought upon our family. I know we have understood the risks that I am about to take but my heart still twinges in pain for you and for all of us. I am forever grateful for your love and support._

_I was lying when I said things will be alright. In reality, I do not know if I will be okay, or I will come out of this alive. I do not trust this government to uphold the basic rules of decency, despite what my heart wanted to believe. Nevertheless, this is a fight that needs to be fought, and I must be the one to lead it. After all, I got elected, put in the highest echelons in power, and gloried in its pump. Therefore, it is now time that I must suffer the consequences of my act._

_Love, in this dark pursuit for justice, I must ask you one thing, something that you must do without fail: No matter what happens, do not, either you or via any other emissary, ask for a presidential pardon. I would rather die an honorable death in jail, rather than to live in shame. We both know that I have done nothing wrong, and we must hold on to that truth unequivocally, because I know, that this injustice in just temporary, and that in the end, the good shall always prevail over evil._

_I love you so much Bill. And I know you love me too. I will carry that truth in my heart, to sustain me in this lonely journey._

_I will miss you dearly. Do not worry about me. I can handle myself. Just do not berate people because you miss me, okay?_

_Always and forever,_

_Hillary_

 

Bill finally felt the hot tears that he was holding at bay finally stream down his cheeks. He had married the most unselfish woman in the history of mankind, and despite his greater stature, he felt small compared to his wife. Not that it even mattered much. But it made him agonize over her unjust fate.

No matter. Hillary would not face this alone. Not on his watch. 

He’s still with her. Until the bitter end. 

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously in Redemption: Locked her up.

**October 10, 2017**  
**2:25 PM**  
**Chappaqua, New York**

 

One week. Cheryl Mills promised that within a week, Hillary will be out. 

But a week stretched into two and then three until without anyone noticing, it has been already six weeks since she was arrested. What’s worse was that the courts ruled in favor of the Department of Justice and she was refused the chance to post bail. Day by day, Bill was getting more frustrated by the way things are currently run by the federal government. He never thought of doing the terrible things the administration did when he was still in office. His working assumption was that the current administration is actively working to weaken every aspect of American democracy, and so far, his assumption seems to be holding up to scrutiny. He sighed in resignation. Hillary must be this frustrated in all of this too.

Since Hillary’s incarceration, several major revelations have been dropped regarding the efforts in the last election to defeat her. There were too many to enumerate, since it seemed that every level of the Republican establishment was connected to the Russian orchestration. But the most shocking revelation of all – the one that both Bill and Hillary thought had the most impact to her candidacy and subsequent defeat – was regarding FBI Director James Comey’s letter to Congress revealed just a few days before the election. As it turned out, Comey was being blackmailed by Gen. Flynn, a top Trump official and disgraced National Security adviser, and forced him to unnecessarily send the letter to Congress. It was also revealed that Comey himself wasn’t entirely convinced that there was enough reason to send the letter to Congress, but he was forced to do so under the pressure of blackmail.

The calls for President Trump’s resignation crescendoed each day, but he had his incredible talent of resisting to pressure. With the snap election just a month away, the people in the highest echelons of leadership opined that people should simply decide on that issue in the ballot box.

That would have been a fair opinion if the candidate challenging the President wasn’t thrown in jail and was able to campaign like what any other normal candidates do. However, these times were not normal, nor were it unprecedented.

Over the weeks when Hillary was incarcerated, she became paler and thinner, but her sharp mind and indomitable spirit were the same as ever. Unbeknownst to the public, Hillary attempted a hunger strike in protest of her incarceration but her body failed her a few weeks into her strike. She was finally prohibited by government doctors to pursue her strike and she had to oblige. When Bill found out about the hunger strike, he immediately wept at the plight of his wife, inconsolable for hours and hours, until he cried himself to sleep. 

Every time he visited Hillary, Bill took a dose of valium to sedate himself and to prevent himself from breaking down in front of her. He knew he cannot see his wife in her current state without weeping. Also, he could not allow himself to be seen as weak by his wife, because he knew she will look up to him for support and encouragement. He was her pillar, and he could not just simply crumble at the mere presence of tremors. No, they have bigger earthquakes to sustain, and they must stay strong. For themselves and for the entire country.

During Bill’s last visit the day before, he found himself discussing with Hillary about her appeal to post bail. Despite knowing that the current justice system, now controlled by Trump appointees, were prejudiced against her, they still chose to use the powers of the law to pursue her freedom. However, time and time again, their petitions were denied. The circuit courts have denied their appeals, and they were already gearing up the battle towards the Supreme Court.

It was Hillary’s opinion that the entire deterioration of the American democracy – which accelerated during the past nine months – had already run out of legal and political solutions. She thought that the only solution left was military or the use of force. She shuddered even at the thought of such solution.

 

* * *

 

 

That afternoon, Bill was to meet with several key advisors to Hillary for her almost nonexistent campaign. They were cash-strapped, thanks to President Trump imposing sanctions and taxes targeting Democratic donors, and the morale was low. But, for the sake of his wife and the country, Bill had to keep things afloat. It wasn’t easy, but never for one second did he thought of giving up this mission. 

One-by-one, the advisers have arrived. They have assembled in their dining room which doubled as a makeshift conference room. Pelosi and Schumer were there, as well as Harry Reid, who became a close counsel for Hillary leading up to her third candicacy for President. Hillary’s running mate Tim Kaine was there too, as well as DNC chair and deputy chair Tom Perez and Keith Ellison. From Team Hillary, Cheryl Mills, Huma Abedin and John Podesta were present.

“Thank you all for coming”, Bill began the meeting at everybody settled into their seats.

“How’s Hillary?”, asked Nancy, concerned for her dear friend.

“She’s fine. Paler and thinner, but other than that, she’s okay”, Bill assured.

“Oh my”, Nancy gasped.

“Is there evidence that they are mistreating her? We can probably escalate this to the International Criminal Court”, Cheryl suggested.

“Right now, we don’t have much evidence. We cannot gather proof easily since our access to her is very restricted”, said Bill.

“But that might be grounds enough for an ICC complaint…”

“But our argument will be very flimsy”, Bill interrupted Cheryl. “We don’t want to waste our efforts to a half-baked case, since we’re pretty much short-handed”.

“I guess you’re right”, Cheryl conceded.

“What about her debate prep?”, asked Chuck. “The debate is in a week and she should have been prepping by now”.

“The DOJ allowed her to go out for 2 days for debate prep but that’s it”, Huma replied.

“Jesus, 2 days are not enough”

“We know. However, we all know how notoriously lazy the President is”

Nancy chimed in, “I don’t know how exactly poor debate performance will impact Hillary. I mean, we all know how a trainwreck Trump was in all three debates last year and he still won”.

Harry shook his head. “But we all know the standards are always different for Hillary. I mean, she could have invented the cure for cancer and somebody will still shout Benghazi or emails. That’s what Fox News is for”.

“Oh, yeah. You’re right. Thank you for reminding why I still can’t retire”, Nancy sighed in resignation.

The have moved to several other points in the agenda: funding, rapid response, state-by-state organizing. Nothing in those agenda spelled hope for the already-ailing Clinton team. The administration, further fueled by the continued assistance of hostile foreign powers, were too much for them to overcome. In addition to that, the President is continuing to consolidate power unto himself from every branch of government. In other words, America is slowly but surely transforming into a full-fledged dictatorship.

And their only hope against that dictator? Locked in jail. Just like other dissenters were in every other dictatorial regime.

The meeting ended in a dismal tone. Bill was about to leave the room, but not before Harry pulled him and brought him into a corner.

“Did you tell Hillary about my suggestion?”, Harry asked.

Bill nodded. “I did”.

“And…?”

“Hillary was uncomfortable with the idea”, Bill said firmly. “She does not like…uhm…trolls doing propaganda work for her. She thinks it’s an authoritarian scheme. You know how she likes to choose the high road. And she firmly believes in the judgement of the American people”.

“But you acknowledge that the battlefield is skewed, right?” Harry countered. “We need to match their multitude of voices with our own. Our message is getting drowned in the sea of fake news and Breitbart”.

“So let Hillary’s supporters spread the message themselves. They have always been there for her”.

“But they were being silenced and bullied online. Plus, the trolls outmatch them in number and in message discipline. The trolls are almost militarized in precision”.

Bill rubbed his face in exasperation. Although he did not want to admit it, trolls were indeed a necessity in a social media civil war, which is no doubt being waged right now.

“What say you, Mr. President? You think you can overrule Hillary?”, asked Harry.

Bill shook his head. “No matter how convincing you are, I cannot overrule my wife. I respect her judgement the same way she respects mine. It is our rule in marriage that we cannot decide for the other. I hope you understand that, Harry”.

Harry Reid bowed his head, admitting defeat. If he cannot convince Bill of his plan, then certainly couldn’t convince Hillary.

“Thanks Bill. I appreciate it. I’ll see you around”.

“Good bye. Let me walk you to the door”.

As soon as all of the participants of the meeting were gone from their house, Bill heard his cellphone ring. He looked at the caller ID and found out that the number was identified. He was hesitant to accept the call, so he ignored it.

For the next thirty minutes, the same person had been calling Bill nonstop. Finally infuriated by the caller, he finally picked up.

“Hello?”

_“Good afternoon, Mr. President. This is Michael Hess from the CIA”._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, I now know what to do with Redemption! Yay! Sorry for the late update, and also sorry for posting a wonk-y chapter. I promise to write more Billary fluff in the next chapters. I just need to move the story a bit. :)
> 
> P.S. WTF I didn't notice that I wrote 2016 instead of 2017. Fixed it!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Resist. Persist. Insist.

**October 10, 2017**  
**4:56PM ET**  
**Undisclosed Location**

Hillary found herself waking up inside a military aircraft, similar to the once that usually carried her all around the world when she was Secretary of State. She wasn't sure how she ended up in the plane. All she remembered was that she someone from Corrections entered her cell. She felt a sharp pain in her neck suddenly she became dizzy and quickly feel unconscious. 

She looked around the interior of the aircraft and it was empty. Or at least nobody was in the passenger area. While she was alone, the gears in her brain suddenly swung into full motion. Her adrenaline levels suddenly shot up as she realized the gravity of the situation that she was in. 

She was inside a military aircraft, which means her transfer to another location was likely sanctioned by the government. The fact that there she was not properly turned over suggests that this was probably a covert operation. As a former Secretary of State, she knew that she the depth and scope of these kind of operations have. She knew she was a high-profile detainee of the US government, and her every move had local and international implications. She was sure that this was no ordinary transfer of detention cell.

There were several scenarios playing inside her head as to why she was being transferred in secret, but there bottom line among all of them was that what the government was about to her is illegal. Thus, the secrecy. She wasn't surprised, though. When she decided to challenge Trump for the presidency, she knew all of this would happen. If there was any surprise, it was that it took the regime this long to try to break her down. 

In the midst of her deep thought, her stomach rumbled. She realized that she hasn’t eaten since a few hours before she was knocked out. She felt famished and weak, but that wasn’t uncommon because ever since was held, she had less food intake that she usually had when she was in New York. Aside from that, the detention officers were not mindful of her regular thyroid hormone intake. As a hypothyroid patient, she was required to drink maintenance hormones. Failure to regularly take the prescribed dosage leads to fatigue and weakness.

Her back hurt from the rigid aircraft seats which doubled as her stretcher. She decided to sit up and fastened the buckle across her body, protecting herself in case of bad turbulence. She wanted to do something to make light of the situation she was in, but as long as she was isolated, the only thing she could do was to wait.

A few minutes passed and she felt drowsiness take over. Sleep is a friend of the frail, and she felt too weak to fight it. Just as when she closed her eyes, she heard footsteps coming closer to her.

Her eyes popped open at the approaching sound, her mind suddenly on full alert again. Tired as her body was, she fight with all of her might to stay awake. One by one, she saw two men and two women emerge from the aircraft door.

“Oh, she’s awake now”, remarked the blonde woman.

“It’s about time”, said the Latina-looking one.

“Madam Secretary”, nodded the burly-looking man, the oldest of the four people.

“Ma’am, it’s nice to see you again”, said the black young man, extending his hand to her.

Hillary recognized the last one. She was sure she met him at the State Department. She could not remember his name, but she clearly remembered that he was working with Ops. Hillary tried to unbuckle her belt but she was having a little difficulty removing it, so the young man kindly offered to remove the belt. Once unrestrained, Hillary tried to stand up to give him a handshake, but she her legs were too wobbly to support her.

“Careful, Ma’am”, the young man assisted her. “You might want to sit down”

“Thank you, young man”, Hillary replied.

“Simon Cortez, Ma’am”, the young man extended his hand to Hillary, and she shook it as sign of her gratitude.

“Ops?”, Hillary recalled fondly.

“Sharp as ever, Ma’am”, Simon chuckled. “That was more than four years ago”.

“I make it a point to remember the people who serve well. Or at least their faces”, she complimented.

Simon seemed very pleased with himself. He then proceeded to introduce the other people in the room. “Ma’am, I’d like you to meet Michelle Langley from the CIA”, he pointed to the blonde”, “Tracy Vicente from the Justice Department”, Simon then pointed to the Latina woman, “and Lt. General George Petrenko”, the older man offered a salute before shaking her hand.

The three other people shook hands with Hillary and exchanged pleasantries. Somehow, Hillary thought, her theory of her transfer being a covert operation seemed unlikely. 

“Are you feeling well, Ma’am?”, Tracy asked.

“I still feel weak, but other than that, I am fine”, Hillary replied.

“We have food with us but before we can let you eat, I am sure you have a lot of questions for us”.

Hillary nodded.

“Ma’am, we want to tell you everything first before we land. It’s important that you are aware of what’s happening”, said Simon.

Hillary would be glad to be enlightened, and she was willing to put aside her physical nourishment just for a while.

Simon took a deep breath. “As you know Ma’am, with each passing day, this administration is gradually turning into an authoritarian regime, thanks to extremist ideologues in the White House and with the assistance of other extremist countries. Russia in particular.”

Hillary nodded, understanding the national situation perfectly. How could she not? She’s at the forefront of this fight to take the country from the hands of dictator.

“We civil servants are mostly apolitical. We do not meddle with politics and we can separate our work from the nasty political football between the two major parties. But after what has happened during the past few months, with your arrest as the final straw, we felt that we could no longer stand by the sidelines. We think that this is beyond politics. A person’s loyalty to their country begins where loyalty to their party ends”.

“And so”, Tanya continued, “We, a rogue group of civil servants dealing national security, decided to finally act in resistance of this regime. And we thought the best way to deter this regime is to take you away from them”.

“How does retrieving me going to make any difference?”, Hillary asked, skeptic of their plans.

“If the people saw that you were free, it will give a much needed morale to the Resistance”, answered Michelle. “Also, we have found out that the regime was planning to disrupt the upcoming elections, then declare it a failure as a pretext for the suspension of writ of habeas corpus. Then at some point, they will assassinate you”. 

Hillary gasped and covered her mouth in shock. She immediately thought of Bill, who will certainly not react positively to this new revelation. She did not mind dying herself, but she was more troubled with the unbelievable plans that this regime has in store.

“Why?”, was the only word Hillary could say.

“Since you are the face of the Resistance, your death will effectively quell dissent in this country, despite numerous voices opposition. While the Resistance is strong in numbers, it cannot fully consolidate because there were so many who wanted to take on the regime themselves. As you know perfectly well, authoritarian regimes play by the divide and conquer strategy. And so far, your base of supporters constitute the largest Resistance force, although it won’t be enough to topple Trump”.

“What do we do then?”

General Petrenko replied, “we build your base. With our help, we can work with people on the ground. We will also do counter-cyber ops. Shoot down troll accounts and expose corrupt government activities via cyber infiltration and leaking. Then, hopefully, you will be able to consolidate support. With enough political capital, you should be able to take over the reins of government.”

“Basically, this is a coup”, Hillary said, shaking her head. “It will be in violation of the Constitution”

General Petrenko disagrees. “No it’s not. But if the regime pushed too far, we will have no choice. We have to burn everything to ground. Not literally, but a revolution is justified. Hopefully by then, the military comes to its senses that their allegiance lies with America, not Trump”.

“Madam Secretary, I want you to look at me in the eye”, General Petrenko challenged Hillary.

Hillary did what she was asked.

“I want you to swear to me right now”, he said, “in the event that the military has no choice but to take the presidency from Trump by force and hand it to you, that you will defend the Constitution – whether in its current or future form – and that you will protect America’s democracy as determined by the Founders”.

Without missing a beat, Hillary replied, “I swear”. 

Satisfied, a smile formed in General Petrenko’s lips.

“I know you’ll never let us down, Madam Secretary”

* * *

 **October 11, 2017**  
**3:53AM ET**  
**Ramstein Air Base, Germany**  

Hillary did not expect to be taken outside the country, but that was the plan of the rogue force. According to them, she would be kept there until they can find a secure shelter for her in Germany. They are also working with their connections in countries in which the US has no extradition treaty so that the Trump regime cannot arrest her back. The rogues, true to their professions, have planned their retrieval of Hillary in great detail.

As soon as the plane lands, as Hillary was advised, she would be taken into the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center where she will recuperate. After her full recovery, she will then be transported to a safe house somewhere in Germany.

When the plane wheels touched the ground, Hillary felt some of the tension relieved from her chest. After several weeks of incarceration, she would have a little more freedom, something she never thought in her lifetime she would dearly miss.

When she got off the aircraft, all the energy came back to her veins when she saw a beaming Bill waiting for her at the tarmac.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an apology of sorts to you guys. I am sorry for the delayed update (I have finished three fics in between updates LOL) so for today, I will upload two chapters. Head on to the next chapter for fluff!
> 
> P.S. Hillary and I share the same thyroid medicine. After I had my left and right thyroids removed, I had to drink the same meds as she does. And I am puzzled how on Earth she has unlimited energy and I don't. =))))


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you, like me, only check out the last chapter during fic updates, then head over to the previous chapter since I have updated two chapters of Redemption today :)
> 
> This is a bonus chapter because...why not?
> 
> Update: Dishonor on me and dishonor on my cow. I messed up with the numbering. My BS Math self is ashamed.

**October 11, 2017**  
**8:18 AM ET**  
**Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Germany**

Hillary’s IV-stricken hand playfully held Bill’s has the nurse hoisted the saline solution in the IV pole. Bill’s presence in Germany brought a pleasant surprise for her. She thought she would be isolated, as part of the covert rogue operation but they were kind enough to contact him and let him in on their plans. After her arrival, she was further briefed by the other rogue officers who were standing by at Ramstein. Once all done, she was driven straight to Landstuhl so she could regain her health before being transferred to another secure location.  

“We had to inform him”, explained Simon. “We want to let a loved one know what our plans are. Besides, he’ll be a valuable ally”.

“I thought there was something bad that had happened to you when they call”, admitted Bill. “My heart was beating twice as fast”.

“Oh, you have to be more careful with your heart, Honey”, said Hillary with a tone of worry, “I’d have to break from my cell if I heard you had a heart attack”.

Bill chuckled, amazed that his wife was still adamant to take care of him. “I know, I know. But this big boy can take care of himself now. You take care of yourself too. You’ve been missing on your meds and you’re not telling me”. He gently wagged his fingers to express his disapproval.

Hillary sighed. “I know, I know. I thought it was not a big deal so I didn’t mention it. But apparently, it was”.

“Given what we know, we could sue the government for violation for human rights”, Simon interjected, “But even if the court rules in our favor, I doubt they will abide by the ruling”.

“I think so too”, Bill agreed, “I think leaking to the press might be a better idea”.

“I support your idea, Sir”, Simon nodded, “we better take it to the People’s Court, using the President’s terms”.

“He never said that”, Hillary corrected. “That was Alec Baldwin on SNL”.

“Oh yeah, right”, Simon laughed at his mistake, “I kept confusing the real with the fake one”.

“There isn’t much difference between the two, to be honest”, said Bill.

The three of them continued their light conversation while waiting for the attending physician to arrive. At some point, Bill stood up and asked for the nearest bathroom. While Simon and Hillary were alone, the young man took something from inside his jacket pocket and Hillary saw it was a white envelope. She immediately recognized the envelope and gasped in shock as to why it was in Simon’s possession.

“Why is that in your hand?”, she asked.

“We intercepted it. We knew this should not be delivered because the recipient would not receive it. Or at least he will not receive it on time”, he said smiling.

Hillary had almost forgotten about that envelope, but she was relieved that Simon had it with him. She extended her hand to take the enveloped and Simon gladly gave it to her. She then clutched the envelope close to her heart, touched that the rogues even thought of her emotional needs. 

“I think he’s back. I’ll leave you two for a while”, Simon winked.

Hillary mouthed a silent “Thank you” as Bill reentered the hospital suite and Simon left. Bill immediately noticed the letter Hillary was clutching.

“What’s that?”, Bill pointed at the letter.

Hillary closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her heart was bursting with excitement.

“Honey….” Hillary said in a sing-song voice

“Yesssss….” Bill replied in a similar fashion, deeply intrigued as to what trick his wife was hiding in her sleeve.

“Today is a special day”

“I know”  

“I thought I’d miss this day not seeing you. But the universe is working make sure that won’t happen”.

Bill laughed at her observation. “True. If I had known earlier, I should have brought my gift to you from the house”

Catching a favorable opening, Hillary went for it.

“As you know, we always celebrate our anniversary by exchanging gifts. But since I am – or I was -  detained, I could not buy you one for this year. So I wrote a letter instead. Want me to read it?”

Bill nodded, shifting in his seat so that he could properly hear what she about to say. Hillary opened the envelope and read the letter to her eager husband:

_How many times I fell in love with the 42 nd President of the United States?_

_Let me count._

  1. _When I first met him in the halls of the Yale Law Library_
  2. _When he cooked chicken soup for me when I was sick_
  3. _When he followed me to California, fearing that if he didn’t, he might lose me._
  4. _When he drove to Park Ridge to meet my family_
  5. _When I saw him campaign like pro in his first ever political race_
  6. _When he bought the house I really liked_
  7. _When he proposed to me_
  8. _When we were married in the living room of our house_
  9. _When I first held the Bible for him in 1977_
  10. _When I held the Bible for him again in 1979._
  11. _And in 1983._
  12. _And in 1985._
  13. _And in 1987._
  14. _And in 1991._
  15. _When we found out that Chelsea is on her way._
  16. _When he held Chelsea for the first time._
  17. _When he gave hardest political speech in his lifetime, his concession speech in 1980._
  18. _When he was playing with Chelsea when he was not governor_
  19. _When he made a lot of Arkansans’ lives better_
  20. _When he declared his candidacy for President_
  21. _When he defended me from his opponents, especially during presidential debates_
  22. _When we stood by each other in that 60 Minutes interview_
  23. _When he accepted his party’s nomination for President_
  24. _When I held the Bible for him in the steps of the Capitol in 1993 and_ _in 1997_
  25. _When he comforted the nation during that terrible Oklahoma City bombing in 1995_
  26. _When he thanked Chicago for nurturing me and professed his love for me at the 1996 DNC_
  27. _When he told the truth about his affair_
  28. _When he promised to work hard to get things right._
  29. _When he finally made love to me after our reconciliation_
  30. _When he held the Bible for me for the first time in 2001. And_ _in 2007._
  31. _When he campaigned his heart out for me in 2008_
  32. _When he stood by my side in my lowest political moments_
  33. _When he held the Bible again for me in 2009_
  34. _When he walked our daughter down the aisle._
  35. _When he first held our granddaughter_
  36. _And our grandson_
  37. _When he interviewed my running-mate like a prospective son-in-law_
  38. _When he gave that lovesick look at the convention as I accepted our party’s nomination for President_
  39. _When he proudly watched me during all three Presidential debates_
  40. _When he tearfully stood by me during the hardest speech I had to give in my entire life._
  41. _When he held my arm during my former opponent’s swearing in and making me a makeshift poncho to protect me from the rain._
  42. _When he pushed me to fight in this losing battle, and staying strong for us._



_To be honest, I could go on and on and on. But I had to limit myself with 42. Because today, I celebrate 42 blissful years being married to the 42 nd President of the United States. There were a lot of rough patches, but we made it through stronger. Every day, I fall in love with him harder than before. I never thought that would be possible but it is. _

_I on this day, I give him the rest of my life. And I thank God every day that he’s in it._

_All my love,_

_FLOTUS 42_

 

Bill’s eyes were glistening and his skin flush by the time Hillary finished reading her letter. It was the sweetest thing he received in his entire life, and that was saying something since Hillary had showered him with affection so much over the course of their relationship. Maybe it was the fact that Hillary gave this gift during the lowest point of her life that made it very special. He was immensely touched by her gift and Hillary was very glad that he was. She was initially embarrassed by the simplicity of her gift but these apprehensions were certainly gone.

“You know, I would have wanted out anniversary to end like our other anniversaries”, Bill said in jest. 

Hillary giggled at his suggestion. “You know we can’t do that”.

He shook his head, yet smiling. “No. You’re too weak. And besides, somebody might catch us” 

“Smart man”.

“But I’m willing to wait. After all, love is patient, right?”

“Right”.

Bill stood up to kiss her hair, inhaling her scent that he dearly missed.

“I love you and Happy Anniversary”.

“I love you and Happy Anniversary too, Honey. We’ve been here forty-two years. I look forward to the next forty-two”.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: This is 100% fiction, in case the Trump administration (or anybody else tried to sue me).

**January 8, 2018  
** **08:27 AM**  
**En route to United Nations Headquarters**  
**New York City, New York**  


It was the first working Monday of the year, and the media was afloat with a lot of breaking news for the day. Actually, the first Monday of the year was always a busy news day, all of the people in and out of politics eager to start the new year with a bang. But that particular Monday was different from the rest of the all of the first working Mondays of the year: Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was to give a speech at the UN headquarters in New York. This would be her first public appearance since her escape from detention and her subsequent defeat in the presidential elections last year. 

****

Hillary herself had appeared before the UN numerous times, as First Lady when she gave her famous UN Women’s Rights speech in Beijing, and as Secretary of State where she represented the United States as its top diplomat, addressing the international body on different forums and talking about a variety of issues. It was not her appearance at the UN that was newsworthy, but rather, the circumstances that she was going into the speech. 

The moment the public found out about her escape, there was a widespread, organic effort to further resist the fascist, authoritarian regime that was being established by the President. The Resistance suddenly experienced a jolt within their ranks. People flooded the streets to demand Hillary’s release, mostly demonstrated by peaceful protests. Despite the overall peaceful nature of the protests, a very small percentage of it that was violent. The administration took advantage of that small percentage and framed them to be representative of the large scale protests all across the country despite factual reporting on the contrary. 

The administration then used the protests as a pretext to declare the suspension of writ of habeas corpus, which is the closest thing America could get into a Martial Law. The suspension was met with universal condemnation from Democrats. The Republicans, however, were initially mum on the subject and tried to downplay the declaration as very temporary. But then, several weeks had passed and the election was drawing near, and the suspension was still not lifted. It had been universal consensuses by then that if suspension was still in place on Election Day, there would no air of credibility to whatever the results may be, apart from the fact that the challenger to the President was detained and was not given an equal opportunity to campaign. Crumbling to political pressure, a good portion of Republicans have denounced the President, publicly withdrawing their support for him. But those Republican voices were not enough, since the leadership is still sticking to their embattled dictator. 

But instead of the people being deterred, they were more energized than ever. Despite the lack of a Clinton campaign apparatus, the people started organizing themselves on the grassroots level to propel Hillary to the Electoral College victory that eluded her the year before. It was a grassroots movement even Bernie Sanders could not have dreamed of. Men, women, LGBT, old, young, whites, people of color…it was a sight to behold. It was truly ironic to see that one of the most polarizing figures in American history managed to unite the country not seen after World War II. In absentia, no less. 

However, the ruling forces were intent to keep the President in power. Leading up to election, massive voter purges were done in the states in effort to keep pro-Clinton voters away from the polls. The purge prompted Election Day protests and organizations in many parts of the country. Voters are confronting election officers, some of whom are stealing ballot boxes away from the voting places. Election observers from all around the world were stunned to see such chaos happen in the United States. The widespread chaos and confusion across the country prompted the federal government to call the National Guard and arrests those who have been causing disruptions in the polls, most of whom were disenfranchised voters. 

Despite the turmoil throughout Election Day, the polls were closed as scheduled, and the counting commenced. Despite the odds, the people were counting on Hillary to win. For them, she was the clear alternative to the fascist living in the White House. It was a battle between democracy and dictatorship, freedom versus suppression. As the night went on, one by one, states fell into their respective columns. The Empire State Building, one of the most recognizable structures in New York and in the whole world, shows a neck-and-neck race of lights blue and red. The crowd in Times Square cheered as the blue lights creeped up to the 270 mark, and jeered at the red light. Every half an hour, the red and blue lights were trading leads. The tension was palpable in the square despite the cheers and the jeers. But finally, at around 1 am the following day, in the dead of the night, the race was finally called. 

_275-263_

So close, but it was not enough. 

It was like November 9, 2016 again, except that it was worse and much more painful. To add insult to injury, once again, it was the woman who won the popular vote. But it was the man who was poised to retain control of the reins of government. The results were devastating. The people blew their best shot of removing the dictator from office. All of the hopes they pinned on Hillary Clinton were once again thrown into the fire and burned into a crisp. 

Though Hillary lost the election, this time, she chose not to concede the victory to her opponent. No. This time, it was clear as day that the election was not legitimately won and thus, she refused to recognize the validity of the results. She vowed to the American people that she will not legitimize a stolen election, for it is against the core of American values. And so for weeks, she has been publicly pressed and threatened by administration supporters and surrogates to concede. But this is Hillary Clinton that we are talking about. It will take more than a threat to bend her indomitable will. 

And so, the United Nations stunned the world when they announced that the former Secretary of State will come out from the underground and will address the body just days before the inauguration of the President-elect. There was widespread speculation in the local and international media that she will condemn the President and the election that affirmed his power to office. But this was Hillary Clinton that we are talking about. It was never wise to preempt what she was going to do, for she might leave everyone disappointed. 

Or stunned beyond belief. 

* * *

As Hillary made last minute changes into her speech, Bill was listening closely to her every word, critiquing the tone and substance on every sentence of every paragraph. They have done this ritual so many times before, but it had never felt so exhilarating. Moments away from giving the most important and controversial speech in her entire life, Hillary could not help but feel but anxious and agitated. 

Of course, Bill felt her tense in his arms, wrapped around her narrow shoulders. 

“Breathe, Baby”, he coaxed her. “Relax. You’ll do just fine. Just as you always do”. 

“I know, Honey”, she inhaled a deep breath. “But it’s hard not to when you know the future of the world lies in your speech”. 

Bill chuckled silently. “It’s amazing to think that you’ve been here and done it for so long, and yet you still get the jitters. Not that it’s a bad thing of course”. 

“Well, it’s maybe because I take every speech seriously”, said Hillary, partly annoyed at his quip. 

“Yes, you do, Baby”, Bill kissed her hair. “Shall we run through your speech again?” 

“Yes, please. Last one and I’m good to go. And then I’ll relax”. 

“Alright. Fire away, Baby”. 

Hillary took a deep breath and started reciting her speech one last time: 

_…I am honored to be in the presence of this distinguished body. I must admit, this is a first for me. For the first time, I am addressing the United Nations as a private citizen and not representing the United States in any capacity, official and unofficial. For the first time, I come here as Hillary Clinton, a free citizen of a free United States of America._

Hillary paused for an expected applause line. Bill nodded. So far, so good. 

_…I know many of you are dying to know how I have been. I can gladly say that I am more than fine and able, despite the health setbacks I have experienced during the past few months given that I was detained and my medical needs were not properly attended to. Nevertheless, I am here. I am here to speak for the many silenced voices in this country. For the bodily torture is no match against my indomitable spirit._

Bill tried to appear stoic, but in reality, that last sentence made his heart burst with infinite pride. 

_Some of you might have wondered why I came back to the arena of combat. After my almost 40 years of public service and my electoral defeat, there was no reason for me to emerge and subject myself to infinite public scrutiny. I think it is fair to say that I have earned my peace. That I want to spend the remainder of my life with my husband and my family and enjoy the serenity that has eluded me for so long._

_After a long, tiring, and disheartening campaign, the ambition to seek office, much less the highest office in the land, already left my heart and my mind. That once attractive chance of being the one to break that highest, hardest glass ceiling no longer appealed to me. I have already found peace with the fact that my dream was not mine to be fulfilled._

Bill tightened her grip in her hand as her throat clenched. He motioned her to lean on his shoulder as she recited the remainder of her speech. 

_After my arrest, I was rescued by a small band of civilians who are faithful to the Constitution and to the core values of democracy. I could have chosen to shy away from the fight and roam freely on the other side of the world. But I came back to the United States, at the risk of being detained back and pressed with more bogus charges, just because I dared to speak out against this oppressive regime. Never in my lifetime did I imagine America would descent into such chaos, where the Constitution, the rule of law and human rights do not matter anymore._

Hillary felt her chest tighten. No matter how many times she read and repeated those words, she still felt the twinge of her agony for America. This was not the America that she grew up in, nor was it the one she envisioned. 

_But yet I am here, standing in front of you, the entire country and the whole world, speaking out and shouting my heart out, until my voice extinguishes due to exhaustion and decrepit. I was a First Lady, Senator and Secretary of State. You elevated me to greatest echelons of power, and I gloried in its pump. It is now time that I must give and fight back._

Bill tried to not to choke at her words. He too rose into the highest echelon, and yet she was the one who recompensed more than he did. 

_Remember what the great John F. Kennedy told us: It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. Remember that I can only hold one candle. I can only offer a sliver of light. A gust of wind can easily extinguish my fire. But if we all light our candles, we can defeat the darkness and no amount wind can extinguish our fire._

“Perfect”, Bill said of his wife’s speech, before taking the speech out of his wife’s hand, snucking an earpiece onto one of their ears and turning the music on from her iPhone. 

“Is that all?”, she murmured in his neck. 

“Wait”. Bill’s fingers travelled through her chest. He was satisfied when the firmness of the bullet-proof vest tucked underneath her shirt”. 

Hillary watched amusedly as her husband splayed his hand across her chest and back. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine”. 

“I didn’t say you weren’t”, he quipped. 

“No you didn’t”, she shook her head. “But you thought about it?” 

“Is that bad?” 

“No. I just don’t want you worrying, that’s all” 

“But you know, I will always do that no matter what you say”. 

“I know.”. She snuggled closer to him and smiled in his chest. “You’re my living bullet-proof vest”. 

* * *

**January 8, 2018  
** **11:52 AM**  
**United Nations Headquarters**  
**New York City, New York**

Hillary’s speech at the United Nations was met with heightened emotions all round the world. All of the networks and international news agencies gave a live coverage to her appearance – continuous and unfiltered. People who are watching outside the headquarters, in their TV screens and and via livestream, were all shaken by her message. In the middle of her speech as she was lost in the emotion of the moment, Hillary managed to slip some impromptu yet grave remarks: She took on the President on his previous threats to assassinate her. She challenged him to make good on his threat if he believed that she was bad for democracy, causing the entire room to gasp in shock. 

At the end of her remarks, everybody understood that the dam was broken. The troops are rallied and the guns cocked. An all-out war for the future of America has now begun. 

And so, it should not have been a total shock when a bullet hit the back of Hillary’s neck as soon as she emerged from the big glass doors of the UN Headquarters, spilling glass and blood all over the marble floors. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry if you didn't like the end of the chapter. Huhuhu. But the end is near. I will close this story on the next chapter. 
> 
> Again, sorryyyyy!!!


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Sorry for the delayed update. I was supposed to finish Redemption before Easter but I forgot the draft in my office. Oh well. :/

**January 8, 2018  
** **United Nations Headquarters**  
**New York City, New York**  
**12:01 PM**

As soon as the limp body of Hillary Clinton fell into the marble floors, the crowd of people entrance of the UN Headquarters looked like a colony of ants being disrupted from their orderly line. People fled away from shower of shards and bullets which seemed to come from where Hillary was, pushing and knocking each other's in their rush to safer ground. Blood-chilling screams heard on the site were captured by the live coverage of the press situated in the area, broadcasting the chaos around the world. The world hasn't seen such kind of live traumatic display of violence since 9/11, and the viewers all over the globe let out collective gasps and curses in shock in front of their TV and computer screens.

While the people are fleeing from ground zero, there were a few who rushed to the aid of the fallen Secretary of State, the most prominent of which was her husband, who clutched her unconscious body in his arms, staining his coat and shirt with her warm blood.

"Hilly...wake up...wake up...wake up", Bill tried gently slapping her awake, desperate to bring out a reaction from her as tears welled in his tired eyes.

Nothing.

"Hilly...Hilly...are you okay?", he was nudging her torso. "Can you hear me Baby?"

Nothing.

"Hill...please answer me", Bill's whispered tearfully.

Still nothing.

In the midst of all the shouting from the protesters and law enforcement, Bill let out a blood-curling scream, calling out his wife's name, as if she or anyone could hear him. In their years in the national spotlight, this was the first time that they were left alone and unnoticed. That they were recognized as neither President and First Lady, but as regular human beings, desperately fighting for survival.

Beneath his touch, Bill felt the bullet lodged in Hillary's neck, blood gushing out of the wound and into his hands. The flow of the warm red liquid was alarming and Bill needed to someone to help them. As soon as he looked up to call for help, a paramedic rushed to their location and gave Hillary first aid treatment. Another paramedic approached to give assistance to her colleague. While Bill was watching the two first responders tend Hillary's wounds, a National Guard pulled Bill away from the paramedics and brought him to the side, furthering his distance from her.

"Mr. President, we have to take you away from her. The first responders need to do their jobs", the National Guard explained.

Bill was numb from shock, eyes still transfixed on her. "Help her...please help her".

"We will, Sir. Just calm down", the Guard assured.

"Hill..Hill...", Bill started sobbing like a child and went after her as he saw the paramedics take Hillary away in a stretcher towards the nearest ambulance.

The Guard stopped Bill from getting anywhere near Hillary. "No, Sir. She must come with us. We will notify you as soon as she is safe".

"Hillary...", he whispered silently.

As soon as the paramedics finished their jobs, another team of first responders came to the scene and carried Hillary towards the ambulance.

"I'll go with her", Bill volunteered.

"No, Sir", the guard refused. "It will be inconvenient for you to go to the ambulance. We will just notify you which hospital she will be brought to so you can stay with her".

"No, I want to be with her", Bill insisted.

"This is SOP for VIPs, Sir", the Guard explained. "Sorry, Sir but we have to follow protocols".

Not wanting to jeopardize Hillary's rescue, Bill chose to back down.

In the heart of the chaos, a young photographer was able to capture the image of Bill Clinton, his face, hands and coat drenched with his wife's blood.

Bill rushed to find his Secret Service agents, nowhere to be found in sight. He realized that their absence during the entire situation was a break from protocol. Though Hillary herself has been stripped of Secret Service protection, his agents should have been present with him and coordinating with first responders.

He swam through the tide of rushing people, desperately searching for a familiar face who he could have asked help from. Not one. He needed someone who can connect him with Hillary. He ran back inside the UN headquarters, where he met a frantic Simon Cortez, one of the rogue State Department staff who orchestrated Hillary’s escape from detention, running around the complex, searching for him.

“Mr. President”, Simon panted. “Thank goodness I found you”.

“Same here”, Bill breathed in relief. “I’m looking for someone to get me to Hillary”.

“We’ll get you to here. But we need to find her first”, said Simon.

“What do you mean?”, asked Bill, confused. "You don't know where they'll be taking her?"

Simon shook his head. "No, Sir. We have intel suggesting they'll take her away if she survives. No attorney. No anything".

"Those bastards", Bill's blood boiled with white hot fury at the news delivered by Simon, prompting him to grit his teeth. "If I get my hands on them, I swear to God..."

"Calm down, Sir", Simon soothed the former President. "We have more pressing matters at hand. We need to find her before the Feds do. Are you with us, Sir?"

Bill nodded. The answer was obvious, really.

Simon nodded back and escorted Bill away from the building.

Within five minutes since the shooting, the rogue team of federal workers loyal to Hillary leaked to the mainstream and social media the administration's plan to take Hillary away if she survived, further intensifying the turmoil consuming the country. The public was quick to step up and defend Hillary from their oppressive government. Within minutes since the news broke, people protesting in front of the UN dispersed to hospitals all across NYC, barricading the entry and exit points so that no government vehicle can take Hillary away. For those who were not in NYC, they assembled in front of their local hospitals, protesting in solidarity with their comrades in NYC.

The hashtags #FreeHillary, #BringBackOurGirl and #StilWithHer trended on social media, breaking records. The size of protests across the country was similar to the historic Women's March, but this one was more organic and people had less time to organize. People - men, women, LGBT, young and old - just showed up, wanting to take their country back from the clutches of a mad dictator who is insecure and thirsty for power. The Resistance, a revolution, People Power - whatever you might want to call it - the side of democracy was winning the battle. They just have to win the war.

 **January 8, 2018  
** **New York Presbyterian Hospital**  
**New York City, New York**  
**2:46 PM**

Bill and Simon, along with the help of the rogue feds, managed to track which hospital Hillary was taken to: NY Presbyterian. Bill felt his heart tug at the choice of hospital. It was the exact same hospital that witnessed some of the high points in his life: his near-brush with death and survival and the arrival of his two grandchildren among others. He hoped that it would also bear witness to another high point in his life: Hillary’s survival.

As soon as Bill entered the hospital, he immediately inquired about his wife and went straight to the operating room where Hillary was being treated. He had not called Chelsea yet, but he saw that his daughter and her husband were already waiting outside.

“They called me earlier and told that Mom was here”, Chelsea said. They, referring to their underground allies.

Bill squeezed her daughter’s hand. “I’m glad you’re here. Mom needs us now”.

Chelsea smiled sadly. “I know. She’s gonna make it. I know she will”.

 **January 10, 2018  
** **New York Presbyterian Hospital**  
**New York City, New York**  
**12:12 AM** ****

Hillary was released from surgery after 8 hours. Due to the tricky position of the bullet, the doctors were not able to remove the bullet in her neck. However, the bullet should not be of immediate danger to her. The doctors told Bill and Chelsea that Hillary would be able to live normally even with the bullet in her neck. She might have experience some pain in her face and neck afterwards, but overall, she should be fine.

As soon as Hillary was out of the operating room, she was sent straight to ICU for constant monitoring. She was unconscious after the surgery and hasn’t woken up since. Per hospital rules, only one person was allowed to watch a patient in ICU. Chelsea insisted that she, her father and Marc take turns in watching over her mother, but her father won’t budge.

“Your Mom didn’t leave my side when I had my quadruple bypass”, Bill reasoned. “Now that our roles are reversed, I won’t, either”.

Chelsea gave up on convincing her Dad on going home. But she made doubly sure he was not straining himself too much. She constantly brought him his favorite snacks, decaf coffee from Starbucks, comfortable change of clothes and his hoard of books from their Chappaqua house. But despite Chelsea’s best efforts to reduce his stress, the agony of not knowing whether his wife would be okay continued to drag on to his heart.

That night, Chelsea was still in the hospital despite the late hour. Bill’s legs were starting to get painful due to the long hours sitting and lack of exercise so he decided to leave the ICU and go on a stroll in the hospital premises.

As he was walking around, he saw the doors to the hospital chapel. Desperately needing spiritual solace, he entered the chapel and knelt on the nearby pew.

For the first time in months, Bill allowed himself to cry. Like the women of Jerusalem who wept for Jesus during his passion, Bill wept for the unfair punishment that was imposed on his wife.

 _She does not deserve this_ , Bill thought in tears. _I should have been the one hit by the bullet._

Bill fixed his gaze on the silver cross that was erected in front of the chapel. The cross that was a reminder that the man who carried it and died in its surface did not deserve it either.

Bill sobbed harder. He was helpless. He could not do anything for his wife. But pray. And pray. And pray that everything will be alright.

* * *

Bill went back to the ICU to find Chelsea sleeping in a chair and his wife still unconscious. He nudged Chelsea so that she could go home and rest. Chelsea promised that she would go back after she had dropped Charlotte to school. Bill nodded and kissed his daughter goodbye.

That day was not particularly eventful for him. Things had gotten worse outside the hospital with the protests calling for the President to give up his electoral victory and hand it to Hillary, despite the Vice President being the rightful successor during such scenarios. But Bill didn’t particularly care. He just wanted his wife to be alive. Days of worrying about Hillary had taken a toll on him, and he was very exhausted. He took the chair that Chelsea used to occupy and carried it beside Hillary’s bed.

Bill gave his wife one last look. She seemed very at peace. Bill’s heart clenched at the prospect that his wife might not be with him tomorrow. In fact, it will cause the death of him. But it was God’s will, he had no choice but to obey. After all, they had been with each other for 46 happy years. He could not be more thankful for the memories and conversations he had with her. Everything in this world is temporary, with God forever.

He leaned in to her forehead and planted a long, loving kiss, inhaling her scent for possibly the last time.

Bill sat in his chair and leaned his head on the soft mattress in Hillary’s bed. He held her hand and squeezed it tightly as his slowly closed his eyes, drifting into a deep sleep.

 

 

_After three days of darkness, Hillary opened her eyes. And the first image she saw in her second life was the serene, sleeping form of Bill._


	16. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _She who was chased out will return to power in the realm,_  
>  _Her enemies found to be conspirators,_  
>  _More than ever her new term will be triumphant,_  
>  _Three and seventy will end her career in death most assuredly._  
> 
> 
> \- Michel de Nostradame

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I added two chapters today! Head over to the previous chapter for the final chapter of Redemption. This is gonna be the epilogue. :)

**January 20, 2018**  
**Independence Mall**  
**Philadelphia, Pennsylvania**  
**12:00 PM**

The last time Hillary was here was for a campaign rally with the Obamas the night before the 2016 election. But that day, she was back at the birthplace of the United States for an entirely different reason

A reason she never thought would happen to her. Not after the late hours of November 8, 2016.

Hillary, still weak and walking towards the center of the stage using a cane, waved to the thousands of people in front of her, carrying signs of various sentiments – from ones blasting the President to one calling for the restoration of American democracy to ones exalting her lifelong record of standing up for democracy. She had dreamed of this all her life, but she never imagined that it would look this way.

Especially not when on the other side of the country, the President was stepping out on a stage of the National Mall, getting ready to be sworn in by the justice he first appointed as President.

When Hillary, clad in her symbolic white pantsuit, was front and center, the crowd erupted in applause. Her neck is still painful and her speech still slurred, but her discomfort was nothing compared to the support that she was receiving from the thousands of people that had flocked the Independence Mall to witness this unique moment in history.

Also at the stage was Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Surrounding them were members of Congress and governors from both sides of the aisle who chose to fought the tyranny of the dictatorial President, and ordinary Americans – vets, disabled persons, men, women, LGBT, college students, business owners – who led the fight on the ground and who had much at stake in the future of their beloved country.

As soon as Hillary shook hands with Justice Ginsburg, she felt a gentle nudge on her shoulder: It was Bill, beaming brightly and holding the Bible. He took Hillary’s cane and handed it to Chelsea, who was smiling behind them. Hillary almost fell when he removed the cane from her hands, but Bill was able to catch her.

“Hang on to me, Honey”, Bill whispered. “I do not want this moment to be immortalized in history with you looking fragile and weak”.

Hillary shifted her weight on to Bill as she struggled to keep in balance. But Bill was beside her, never letting her fall.

She raised her right hand, placed her left hand on the Bible and recited the same oath only forty-five men, her husband included, had recited in history:

_I, Hillary Rodham Clinton, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States._

_So help me God_

And with that, just as Hillary did ten days ago, America woke up from the darkness and into its second life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are confused as to what had just happened, yes, there are two inaugurations on January 20, 2018. But one of them is not bound to last. And yes, Hillary is setting up a revolutionary government. :))
> 
> Thanks for the awesome feedback all through out Redemption. You guys are the best. And if you like my work, you can head over to [A Divine Conspiracy](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10585848) for Billary fantasy/adventure/GoT goodness (lol). I really thought I could not write it while on my exam review but it turns out, it became my motivation to study. Alright. *thumbs up* 
> 
> Again, thank you so much!

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! New writer, old reader here. This fic is my visualization of how Hillary and Bill will survive the Trump presidency. I'll be happy to hear from you! Apologies in advance for the grammar and spelling errors.


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